Based on the information received by national radiation regulatory authority,
Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) from Indraprastha Apollo Hospital that a
person, who is the owner of a scrap metal shop in Mayapuri, New Delhi, is
showing symptoms indicative of suspected exposure to radiation, a team of
officials from DAE and AERB were sent to the scrap metal shop at Mayapuri, New
Delhi. The officials used radiation detection equipment and monitored the
radiation levels at various positions within the scrap shop and in the adjoining
areas during the afternoon and evening on 7th April, 2010. The shop belonging to
the person who had symptoms indicative of suspected radiation exposure was found
to have high radiation fields. Nearby four shops in the same area also indicated
high radiation fields. The team located the sources of radiation and isolated
one of the sources and shielded the source with locally available steel scrap
materials. This was done to reduce the radiation level in the surrounding. The
Crisis Management Group in the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) was activated
and a team of officers from DAE and AERB was sent to New Delhi with a wide range
of radiation monitoring and detecting equipment for prompt identification and
recovery of the radioactive pieces and their safe disposal. Necessary equipment
including shielding material and shielded containers for carrying the
radioactive material were also brought to the site. The searching operation
continued throughout the night of April 8, 2010. By the forenoon on April 9,
2010, several pieces of radioactive material could be located and they were
removed and packed in shielded containers. The radiation level in the affected
area has come down to the normal background level and cordoning of the road
which was done for preventing exposure to the people around have been removed.
The entire operation was carried out by the members of the DAE-AERB team with
the protection provided by the local police. The radionuclide responsible for
high radiation field has been identified as Co-60 using a portable spectrometer.
Such sources are used in industry for radiography, nucleonic gauges for
thickness measurement and in medical applications. It may be mentioned that this
incident/radiation exposure is not related to any of the DAE facilities. The
situation is under control. The radioactive material in the shielded containers
has already been shifted out of the affected area and the radiation level in the
entire area has come down to normal background level.
Sd-
(S K Malhotra)
Head Public Awareness Division
DAE