Thailand gives radioactive waste storage assurance

["Sandy Perle" <sandyfl@earthlink.net>]

Thailand gives radioactive waste storage assurance

BANGKOK, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Thailand gave an assurance on Thursday 
that it would ensure radioactive waste and equipment was properly 
stored after nine people who had been exposed to dumped radioactive 
material were hospitalised last week. 

Manoon Aramrat, spokesman for the state-run Office of Atomic Energy 
for Peace (OAEP) told Reuters two of those hospitalised were in 
critical condition. 

``We are worried and concerned about the patients who were exposed to 
high doses of radiation last week. I learnt from doctors at the 
hospital that two of them are in critical condition. The rest are in 
stable condition,'' he said. 

Manoon said radioactivity was no longer a threat in Thailand. 

``We would like to reassure the public and the international 
community that Thailand is now safe and free from radioactive 
exposure. 

``All radioactive equipment and waste are being kept in proper 
storage and are under the thorough control of the OAEP,'' he said. 

The nine patients had unknowingly handled radioactive parts from an 
abandoned radiotherapy machine dumped on an unused plot of land near 
Bangkok. Two more machines were also found at the site. 

They were exposed to Cobalt 60, an isotope artificially produced to 
be used as a source of gamma rays or high energy radiation. It is 
used in cancer treatment machines, in food irradiation and in glass 
colouring, OAEP officials said. 

Science, Technology and Environment Minister Arthit Ourairat told 
reporters he would welcome a visit from a team of experts from the 
United Nations who had offered to come to Thailand to help it 
streamline control of radioactive waste disposal and treat the nine 
patients. 

Thai authorities earlier this week asked police to investigate and 
file charges against a distributor of imported radiotherapy machines, 
Kamol Sukosol Electric Co, for improper disposal of the machines on 
land it owned. 

Police were investigating the case and formal charges had not been 
laid, officials said. 

Kamol Sukosol has said that it is consulting its lawyers on the case.

The OAEP said the latest incident occurred due to the careless and 
irresponsible disposal of radioactive machines. 

Thailand currently has 126 cancer treatment radiotherapy machines 
being used in 20 hospitals nationwide. All these were safely and 
properly stored, Manoon said. 

``There is no harm from these machines unless people try to 
disassemble them. The public should not panic as all the equipment 
are being kept under control,'' he added.

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