IAEA probing Dehli radioactive scandal

[pkd]

Probe into radioactive waste scandal


VIENNA - THE UN atomic watchdog said on Saturday it is seeking more information about reports of a radioactive waste scandal at the University of Delhi, with one person already dead from radiation poisoning.

India's atomic energy regulator the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) is currently investigating a claim that Delhi University buried radioactive material on its campus 20 years ago. Local police also blame the university for dumping an irradiation machine containing radioactive cobalt-60 which ended up in scrapyard in New Delhi, where it killed a 35-year-old worker and put seven others in hospital.

International Atomic Energy Agency spokesman Marc Vridricaire said the watchdog had become aware 'of the possibility of a serious radiation emergency at Mayapuri in New Delhi' via media reports on April 9. It had also seen media reports this week 'of a fatality caused by exposure to radiation in Indian scrap metal yards.' As a result, the IAEA's Incident and Emergency Centre 'has contacted India's Department of Atomic Energy to request information' and offer help, Vridricaire said.

The Indian Department of Atomic Energy had 'confirmed the initial event,' and the AERB had notified the IAEA that 'multiple Cobalt-60 sources' had been located and secured, the spokesman continued.

Cobalt-60 is categorised as a radioactive source 'that can cause permanent injury to a person handling the material even for a short time without appropriate safety measures and protection.' The IAEA's Incident and Emergency Centre was 'continuing to seek further information on this event,' Mr Vridicaire said. 'And the IAEA stands ready to assist Indian authorities upon request.'

The incidents at Delhi University have highlighted the lax enforcement of waste disposal laws in India and raised fears of further contamination from the university, the city's biggest institute with 300,000 students spread over two sites. -- AFP

Probe into radioactive waste scandal

 

[pkd]

DU buried 20kg of radioactive material on campus, says professor


NEW DELHI: The cobalt-60 that was callously sold by the Delhi University to a scrap dealer an act that resulted in the death of a man and critical radiation exposure to at least seven others is not the only example of the varsity mishandling radioactive substances.

A DU professor has claimed that the physics department dumped as much as 20kg of radioactive material in a 10 feet deep pit on the campus itself, near the chemistry department, some 20 years ago.

"Instead of handing over the hazardous material to BARC for proper disposal, they just buried it in the ground.

Though it's been 20 years, the buried isotopes of substances like uranium could still be active. There are all kinds of pipelines running underneath and so much construction is going on for the Commonwealth Games. It's really dangerous," said professor Ramesh Chandra of the chemistry department.

Chandra said he had raised the issue at the time but wasn't heard. "I had even written to the then vice-chancellor, Munis Raza, saying this was a dangerous practice, but nobody paid any heed," he said.

TOI could not independently confirm Chandra's claim. When asked about the alleged incident, DU vice-chancellor Deepak Pental said, "The people who buy such materials should know how to dispose them of." The head of physics department, professor D S Kulshreshtha, could not be contacted despite several attempts. Sources said Kulshreshtha was not in a position to comment since the matter of his termination from the department was sub-judice.

The incident highlights the complete lack of guidelines or formal training in DU on disposal of hazardous waste. More of such radioactive materials are currently being used in research in various departments like physics, botany, zoology, genetics and molecular biology. Chandra said isotopes of uranium, technitium and vanadium are often used in small quantities for various experiments and research but there is hardly any awareness about the method of their disposal.

The auctioning of the gamma irradiator with a radioactive isotope of Cobalt inside is a classic example of this lack of awareness, he claimed.

The V-C may claim that the department of chemistry had probably miscalculated the age of cobalt-60 thinking it was inactive now, but Chandra was not ready to buy that. He said that the isotope found in Mayapuri could have been active for 12 years more. "It has 10 half-lives of 5.27 years each. That gives it a life of 52 years. It had been here for just around 40 years," Chandra said. He added, "The gamma irradiator weighed 3,000kg and was bought for $20,000 back in 1968. The professor using it for research in radiation chemistry, V K Sharma, retired and then nobody could use it. Thankfully, they had kept the instrument safely. Anyone entering that room had to wear a lead coat."

But they goofed-up in disposing it, he said. He claimed the department had consulted the Okhla-based agent of the Canadian company which had sold the apparatus to DU in 1968, before the auction. Professor V S Parmar, head of the chemistry department, was not available for comment. When contacted on phone, TOI was told Parmar was busy in a meeting.


DU buried 20kg of radioactive material on campus, says professor - Delhi - City - The Times of India

 

[SinoIndusFriendship]

Wasn't it GOI was just wailing about how unsafe Pakistani's nukes were? Hypocritical much?

 

[Cityboy]

Its a great game man. .and we gonna install our nuclear reactr as close to the border area. So any future leackage can be blamed to foreign inteligence agency and big israeli fan helping out radiatn cloud going toward opposite nation

 

[Luftwaffe]

yeah close to the border and still on your land and whatever takes place you people would be responsible lol stupid..
Go read UN papers how you cannot install Nuke reactors close to the borders..sorry to ruin your day.

 

[toxic_pus]

Wasn't it GOI was just wailing about how unsafe Pakistani's nukes were? Hypocritical much?

So now Cobalt 90 is equivalent to nukes.

Well, if you have discovered that Cobalt 90 can be used to make nukes, then there is a shiny medal and a hefty sum of money waiting for you in Sweden.

Just wait for them to browse PDF and see your post.