1.8 tons of monazite found in Chiba Prefecture

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

1.8 tons of monazite found in Chiba Prefecture

TOKYO, June 28 (Kyodo) - Tokyo police Wednesday they have found 1.8 
tons of monazite, a mineral containing low-level radioactive 
material, in the home of a city assemblyman in Sawara, Chiba 
Prefecture. 

The mineral, believed to be part of some 20 tons of monazite that 
have been found unaccounted for earlier this month, was discovered 
Wednesday inside the storage room of the 72-year-old Sawara 
assemblyman, officials said. 

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's Public Safety Bureau has 
launched a nationwide hunt for the missing monazite since the Prime 
Minister's Office Residence and nine other government offices 
received packages containing small amounts of monazite in the mail 
earlier this month. 

Police have since determined the missing monazites belonged to the 
head of a non-for-profit organization known as Nihon Bosei Bunka 
Kyokai (Japan society of motherhood and culture). 

Hiroshi Ikeda, 84, head of the organization, reportedly imported 40 
tons of monazite from Thailand about 20 years ago for research and 
sale to hot springs that use radium and thorium. Monazite contains 
thorium. 

The Sawara assemblyman allegedly told police investigators that he 
was not aware that the monazite he was holding was collateral for 5 
million yen he loaned to Ikeda 15 years ago but he had no knowledge 
that it was monazite. He allegedly said he was told the mineral was 
used for casting. 

Police said the monazite was found stacked inside a storage room 
about 30 meters away from the assemblyman's house. The mineral was 
contained in vinyl bags, each of which carries a label that says 
''monazite'' and ''20 kilos.'' 

Police detected a radioactivity reading of 100 microsievert per hour 
nearby the monazite found in the storage room, officials said. That 
radioactive level apparently does not pose a health hazard to the 
local community. 

According to Tokyo police and the Science and Technology Agency, 17 
tons of monazite that belonged to Ikeda have been accounted for. 
Police have also found small quantities of monazite samples in 
Saitama, Gifu and Ibaraki prefectures. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sandy Perle					Tel:(714) 545-0100 / (800) 548-5100   				    	
Director, Technical				Extension 2306 				     	
ICN Worldwide Dosimetry Division		Fax:(714) 668-3149 	                   		    
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