Cesium-137 leak a wake-up call for Indonesia, says minister

  The incident of radioactive Cesium-137 (Cs-137) exposure in an industrial estate serves as a warning to strengthen hazardous materials monitoring and environmental preparedness, Indonesia's Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq said on Monday.

"The contamination and exposure incident is a warning for us. We must improve an integrated, measured, and coordinated response from all elements," Nurofiq stated during the Cs-137 Radiation Hazard Preparedness Roll Call in Serang, Banten.

He said the detected radiation level at one point in the Cikande Modern Industrial Estate reached 33,000 microsieverts per hour — about 875,000 times the natural radiation level — posing a severe threat to human safety and the environment.

At least nine workers were confirmed to have been exposed to Cs-137 based on Whole Body Counting health tests conducted by the Health Ministry.

Nurofiq said the government has formed a cross-ministerial task force to handle the contamination. A zoning map prepared by the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) and updated by the Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency (BAPETEN) serves as a decontamination reference.

"We have entrusted the task force to complete the decontamination process as quickly as possible," he noted.

More than 100 personnel from the police's Mobile Brigade (Brimob) Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Unit (KBRN) and an Army Denzi Nubika platoon are working with experts to clean the site.

"All decontamination efforts must comply with technical standards and regulations. The contaminated area must remain restricted for public and worker safety," Nurofiq emphasized.

He also pledged zero tolerance for any parties found negligent in causing the radiation exposure.

Health checks have been carried out on nearly 1,600 workers and residents, with the number expected to rise to ensure community safety.

Cs-137 contamination was initially detected in frozen shrimp exported to the United States from PT Bahari Makmur Sejati. Authorities later sealed PT Peter Metal Technology, suspected to be the source of the radioactive material.