Radioactive contamination found on clove farm in Indonesia's Lampung
A clove farm in Lampung province, Sumatra, Indonesia has been found to contain Caesium-137, a radioactive isotope, authorities said Monday. Officials stressed that the contamination is limited to the farm and has not spread to other commodities.
Cloves from the affected farm will not be sold until further laboratory testing is completed, according to task force spokesperson Bara Hasibuan. Investigators are still working to identify the contamination source, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
Indonesia has recently been examining multiple cases of radioactive contamination in food products. The task force has been coordinating with the International Atomic Energy Agency and U.S. authorities after traces of Caesium-137 were detected in a batch of shrimp shipped to the United States in August. Following this, the U.S. introduced new certification requirements for Indonesian shrimp and spices.
Earlier, the task force reported finding Caesium-137 at 22 facilities in the Modern Cikande Industrial Estate, located about 68 km (42 miles) from Jakarta. Some residents nearby may be considered for relocation as authorities conduct further safety checks.
Caesium-137 is a hazardous radioactive isotope that typically enters the environment through nuclear testing or accidents, such as Chernobyl and Fukushima. Indonesia has no nuclear power plants or weapons, suggesting the contamination may have originated from abroad.
Similar news
