Two brothers develop symptoms of cobalt poisoning

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

Bangkok Post
March 17, 2000

Two brothers develop symptoms of cobalt poisoning  

Two more people have developed symptoms of radiation poisoning as 
their white blood cell counts fall. The counts of Surachai and 
Surasak Dejrattanangkul fell to 3,800 per cu mm of blood from 4,000 
in the previous test, said the local health office yesterday.  

The brothers, who have been told to rest at home, were among 1,263 
people who had their blood tested after the cobalt 60 leak at a scrap 
recycling yard.  

Nineteen people were found to have white blood cell counts below 
5,000. However, only these two have showed a steady drop in the 
count. The brothers are relatives of Somjit Jia-udomsap, owner of the 
scrapyard, who is in hospital. They had come to help at the yard 
after workers started falling ill from radiation without their 
knowledge.  

Samut Prakan hospital also revealed three more people had low white 
blood cell counts in the most recent tests.  

The trio were among 22 people on the cobalt 60 rescue/recovery team 
who had their blood tested on Tuesday. Vicharn Kerdvichai, the 
hospital director, said more tests still needed to be conducted.  

Dr Oraphan Metadilogkul, president of the association of doctors on 
occupational health and environment, said 10,000 people living near 
the leak site should be monitored to prevent possible long-term 
health effects.  

She said a chromosome test should be carried out to detect any gene 
irregularity which would point to long-term effects.  

Following the leak, the ministry conducted blood tests on fewer than 
500 local people, twice, and found no abnormality in the white cell 
count.  

"It seems as if the ministry only wants the residents to feel 
relieved by testing their blood," said Dr Oraphan.  

She also expressed dissapointment with the ministry for not allowing 
foreign doctors to look into the health of the patients.  

Dr Oraphan insisted that Thai doctors did not have sufficient 
experience in handling patients exposed to unusually high level of 
cobalt 60, adding that such accidents had never earlier occurred in 
the country.  

She said it is ethically wrong for doctors not to give patients other 
opportunities in curing themselves, adding that they should be given 
the opportunity to be treated by experienced foreign doctors.  

Dr Oraphan said the ministry should realise that even little exposure 
to cobalt 60 can lead to cancer in the long run.  

The manager of Kamol Sukosol Electric Co's medical equipment 
department, Chaweng Suwannarat, failed to answer a summons to hear a 
charge of negligence causing death for the third time yesterday and 
police said they would issue a warrant for his arrest.  

Mr Chaweng is charged over the death of Niphon Phanthukan, from 
sickness caused by the release of cobalt 60.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sandy Perle					Tel:(714) 545-0100 / (800) 548-5100   				    	
Director, Technical				Extension 2306 				     	
ICN Worldwide Dosimetry Division		Fax:(714) 668-3149 	                   		    
ICN Biomedicals, Inc.				E-Mail: sandyfl@earthlink.net 				                           
ICN Plaza, 3300 Hyland Avenue  		E-Mail: sperle@icnpharm.com          	          
Costa Mesa, CA 92626                                      

Personal Website:  http://www.geocities.com/capecanaveral/1205
ICN Worldwide Dosimetry Website: http://www.dosimetry.com

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