Scrap Shop Radiation

Mystery still surrounds the case of the radioactive scrap metal found at a scrap shop in Delhi. There are no indications to whom it was procured or how it came to becoming radioactive. Speculation and rumors are running riot with people even suggesting that there is a possibility of a manufacture of a nuclear weapon unknown to the government. The only information known so far is that the scrap metal was procured from Faridabad. It is said to contain large amounts of cobalt 60, a radioactive material used in the sterilization of medical equipment, tracer of cobalt in chemical reactions, medical radiotherapy, radiography and other fields. Cobalt 60 can also be used to prepare a crude fission device but requires the proper mechanism and environment to prepare that.
Large number of people mainly the shop’s customers are said to have been affected by the radiation. The government has not been very helpful so far. The health department is now issuing safety measures and steps to avoid problems due to radiations. Experts suggest that the impact of radiation could be larger than that imagined. A large amount of gamma rays has been exposed. Gamma rays are the most penetrative and should be handled very carefully. Exposure to radiation may result in immediate darkening of the skin. The police yet is to conduct a massive search operation to track down all the people who visited Deepak Jain’s shop in the last two days, mainly to screen them for radioactive exposure. There is no saying what kind of a problem would arise due to radioactive exposure, there are chances of the person getting cancer or even developing mutations.
A member of the NDMA said that they are waiting for the customers and others who visited the shop in the past two days. They have been isolated and the officials are waiting for their condition to improve to conduct an enquiry to trace the material to its source.
This is the first time that the capital has been under such a threat. The material is extensively used in a large number of industries and care should be taken to dispose them of in a proper manner. With so many people in the city improper disposal could become a major threat. The health department has recommended installation of radiation monitors to identify such threats and immediately report them to the respective officials.
A large number of people are thought to have been affected by this problem. The police is conducting an investigation and the root cause will be identified and the problem causers will be punished. The NDMA has already proposed installation of radiation monitors for protection reasons. The proposal has been sent for a review. Each radiation monitor costs about 70000 to 75000 INR. The monitors will be installed as soon as there is an approval from the government. The proposal was sent by the NDMA (National Disaster Management Authority) to the Union Home Ministry months back but it has been delayed due to various reasons.

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