[Reader-list] On nuclear radiation

[anupam chakravartty]

Dear Readers,

Sharing an article on nuclear radiation:

http://week.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/MMOnline.dll/portal/ep/theWeekContent.do?BV_ID=%40%40%40&contentType=EDITORIAL&sectionName=TheWeek+COVER+STORY&programId=1073755753&contentId=7523996

"This most glaring case of breach in safety occurred on November 24, 2009,
at Unit 1 and 2 of the Kaiga nuclear power station. The source of radiation
was a water-cooler used by the workers. The cooler, located in the Reactor
Building (RB), was common to Unit 1 and Unit 2. The water was laced with
tritiated heavy water. Tritium is a strategic material and so, highly
guarded. Only very few authorised personnel have access to it, that, too,
after going through a controlled access system manned by the Central
Industrial Security Force.

When the incident came to light, authorities in India’s nuclear
establishment said tritium contamination was negligible and that the
incident was minor. Union Minister of State for


"Science and Technology Prithviraj Chavan told the media that it was an
“insider’s job”. Chief of the Atomic Energy Commission Anil Kakodkar
concurred. It was only a matter of time before the culprit would be found
out, they said.

The AERB and the station director at Kaiga, J.P. Gupta, stuck to the theory
that a “disgruntled employee” had contaminated the drinking water. They
claimed that the contamination was far below levels permissible by the
International Atomic Energy Agency and the AERB. The affected workers,
besides being administered diuretics, were advised to increase water intake.
The tritium would be flushed out of the body through perspiration and
urination, they said."

-anupam