Of Active, Inactive and Radioactive: Sid Harth

[cogitoergosum]

Of Active, inactive and radioactive: Sid Harth
http://bakulaji.typepad.com/blog/of-active-inactive-and-radioactive-sid-harth1.html

Radioactive material in scrapyard in India kills 1
(AP) – 57 minutes ago

NEW DELHI — A scrap dealer who dismantled a machine once used by the
chemistry class of a major Indian university died of radioactive
poisoning, police said Thursday, raising concerns about the country's
ability to safely dispose of hazardous waste.

The dealer died Monday in New Delhi after being among workers who
sawed open a gamma cell that Delhi University had auctioned off in
February, a police statement said. Seven other workers are being
treated for radiation exposure.

Police traced the cell to the school's chemistry laboratory, where it
had been lying around unused for more than 25 years. Students had used
it in the 1970s to study the radiation effects of various chemicals,
said police officer Sharad Aggarwal.

The case has raised fears about the unregulated disposal of hazardous
material in India, where dangerous chemicals and even radioactive
waste are often sold to scrap dealers. A nuclear scientist said the
incident showed how lax regulations and lack of enforcement of
existing rules could lead to dangerous situations.

"In India we have better laws than most countries, but the laws are
not enforced," R.G. Pillay, a nuclear expert at the Mumbai-based Tata
Institute of Fundamental Research, was quoted as saying recently by
the Hindustan Times newspaper.

The gamma cell was dismantled April 8, and the subsequent death and
illnesses of the workers sent panic through the western New Delhi
neighborhood where the scrap yard is located. The workers thought the
cell was junk and had no idea they were cutting into a container with
radioactive contents.

The gamma cell is a machine, which contains the radioactive substance
Cobalt-60 and is used to study the effects of gamma rays on chemicals.
Gamma rays are electromagnetic waves similar to X-rays.

Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jZCy2Vz8-GMHxr7Kr240qChiqqbQD9FCLO283

Breaking news

Deadly radioactive waste traced to Delhi University

From correspondents in New Delhi From: AFP April 29, 2010 5:23PM

RADIOACTIVE waste that this week killed one man in the Indian capital
leaked from an irradiation machine thrown out by the city's
university, police said.

Seven people were also hospitalised after the discovery on April 12,
causing panic in residential areas near a New Delhi scrap metal
market.

"Our investigations reveal that a machine containing radioactive waste
was sold by the chemical laboratory at the Delhi University to several
scrap dealers," said senior police official Sharad Aggarwal.

The university imported the gamma irradiation machine in 1980 but
stopped using it in 1985 and sold it at auction in February.

"The dealers dismantled the equipment and in the process peeled off
the lead covering, exposing themselves to radiation," Sharad Aggarwal
said.

Police and experts from the Indian atomic research centre took away
waste containing cobalt-60, a radioactive metal used in radio therapy
machines in hospitals and sterilisation in industrial food processes.

On Tuesday a 35-year-old scrap metal worker who was exposed to the
radiation died in hospital of multiple organ failure.

Search teams have found cobalt-60 in 15 different shops in the scrap
market in west New Delhi.

Last week, India's shipping ministry ordered 12 ports to install
detectors for radioactive material, fearing other hazardous materials
could slip into the country.

http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/deadly-radioactive-waste-traced-to-delhi-university/story-e6frfku0-1225860286264

Radiation leak: Delhi University staff to be questioned
IANS, Apr 29, 2010, 10.55am IST

Tags:Delhi University|radiation leak|Mayapuri|scrap market|cobalt 60

NEW DELHI: Delhi University's department of chemistry staff will be
questioned on Thursday after the source of the radioactive material,
which claimed one life and affected seven in a west Delhi scrap
market, was traced to the department's laboratory, police said.

Late Wednesday, police revealed that the radioactive gamma cell
containing Cobalt 60 was auctioned by the Delhi University department
two months ago.

"We, so far, only have the victim's account that they bought the scrap
from the department of chemistry, Delhi University, at an auction. We
have had basic talks with the department's people.

"We need to probe further and investigate if there was any committee
formed to dispose the material and whether any regulatory procedures
were flouted. We will begin questioning the staff today," deputy
commissioner of police (West) Sharad Aggarwal said.
A fortnight ago, radiation leak was reported from the scrap market in
Mayapuri area of west Delhi. Eight people, affected by radiation
poisoning, were admitted to various hospitals, where one person died.
Another person is still battling for life while others are said to be
out of danger.

A team of radiation safety experts from the Bhabha Atomic Research
Centre (BARC) Mumbai, the Narora Atomic Power Station (NAPS) and
Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) identified the radiation source
at shop No. D2/32 in Mayapuri Phase-II.

The team located and recovered six sources of different intensity. The
radioactive gamma cells were placed in a lead shielded flask. Two more
such materials were recovered from scrap dealer Deepak Jain's
warehouse. Jain is still in a critical condition. Further searches led
to recovery of two more radioactive materials from another dealer
Giriraj Gupta's shop.

The police officer said gamma cells were used for conducting
experiments in analysing the effect of gamma rays on chemicals.
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Delhi University apologises for radioactive leak
Chargesheet filed in Batla House case

Readers' opinions (4)

Uma Venkatesh Bangalore 29/04/2010 at 12:45 pm
I hope these departments have a protocol to dispose these hazardous
materials in their curriculum. What a irresponisible action. It has
really put the reputation of this University at stake. Beware of this
department in future.

Satyasri Ukil Delhi 29/04/2010 at 12:42 pm
Not only DU Chemistry Department staffs, the journalists should come
and see what's happening in other departments of DU as well ! For more
than a year now many of DU rstablishments are selling off scraps in
large scale. No one has any idea if these will cause hazards for the
society.

Stanley Susai Mumbai 29/04/2010 at 12:07 pm
if this is the way reputed university situated in Capital functions
then their more reason to worry about other labs throughout India.
Their is a procedure to handle radio active substance and even
layperson is aware of the dangers involved yet DU has come up-to its
reputation

Satyasri Ukil Delhi University 29/04/2010 at 12:47 pm
I work in DU, and have seen in what negligent manner they are selling
scraps off ! Its criminal ! Media should expose this further.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Radiation-leak-Delhi-University-staff-to-be-questioned/articleshow/5871440.cms

Breaking News:

Delhi University apologises for radioactive leak
IANS 2 hours ago

: Delhi University Vice Chancellor Deepak Pental on Thursday accepted
"moral responsibility" for the radioactive accident that killed one
man and injured seven in a scrap market in Delhi.
Radiation leak: Delhi University staff to be questioned
IANS 5 hours ago
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Radiation-leak-Delhi-University-staff-to-be-questioned/articleshow/5871440.cms

Delhi University's department of chemistry staff will be questioned on
Thursday after the source of the radioactive material, which claimed
one life and affected seven in a west Delhi scrap market, was traced
to the department's laboratory, police said.
Chargesheet filed in Batla House case
Rahul Tripathi 10 hours ago
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Chargesheet-filed-in-Batla-House-case-/articleshow/5870801.cms

In the first official document from cops detailing the sequence of
events leading to the controversial Batla House encounter in 2008, the
Delhi Police on Wednesday filed a chargesheet in the case in a Delhi
court.

Sarojini Nagar shelter lacks basic facilities, NGO informs HC
TNN 10 hours ago http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Chargesheet-filed-in-Batla-House-case-/articleshow/5870801.cms

If governmental apathy and bone chilling winter took its toll on
Delhi’s homeless, the summers has brought little respite, the Delhi
High court came to know on Wednesday.
Radioactive metal: Chem dept head in dark, V-C says shocking
Neha Pushkarna & Dwaipayan Ghosh 10 hours ago
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Radioactive-metal-Chem-dept-head-in-dark-V-C-says-shocking-/articleshow/5870791.cms

A few days after BARC certified that the radioactive Cobalt isotope
found at 11 locations in Mayapuri was not manufactured in India,
authorities in Delhi University on Wednesday were taken aback after
they came to know that it had actually come from their own chemistry
lab at north campus.
Radioactive metal came from DU
Rahul Tripathi 14 hours ago
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Radioactive-metal-Chem-dept-head-in-dark-V-C-says-shocking-/articleshow/5870791.cms

The lethal metal, which has resulted in one death and critical
injuries to many others, came from the Delhi University's chemistry
lab and was sold to a scrap dealer in an auction in February this
year, they said.
Docs pull out 8cm splinter from boy's brain
Risha Chitlangia 11 hours ago
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Radioactive-metal-came-from-DU/articleshow/5870285.cms

The doctors were shocked when 11-year-old Rahul walked into the
neurosurgery OPD at AIIMS a few days ago. Rahul had been walking about
with an 8cm-long wooden splinter in his brain it had pierced his left
eye for the past two years.
Origin of Cobalt-60 traced to Delhi University
PTI 20 hours ago
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Docs-pull-out-8cm-splinter-from-boys-brain/articleshow/5870132.cms

The origin of radioactive Cobalt-60 found in west Delhi's Mayapuri,
which led to the death of one person, has been traced to Delhi
University's chemistry department where it was lying unused since the
last 25 years.
Half of city lives in slums and illegal colonies: MCD
Dhananjay Mahapatra 28 Apr 2010, 06:52
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Origin-of-Cobalt-60-traced-to-Delhi-University/articleshow/5869157.cms

In what comes as a dampener to the civic bodys sustained campaign to
present a beautiful face of Delhi during the Commonwealth Games,the
Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Tuesday revealed a filthy side
of the national capital before the Supreme Court on Tuesday.
Cops find Naxal links: Union leader arrested
DWAIPAYAN GHOSH 28 Apr 2010, 06:49
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Cops-find-Naxal-links-Union-leader-arrested-/articleshow/5866265.cms

The special cell of Delhi Police has arrested a leading trade union
activist from east Delhi,and detained his wife and two others,for
allegedly being involved in Naxal activities in the capital.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articlelist/-2128839596.cms

Man exposed to radiation dies, another critical in Delhi
IANS 27 Apr 2010, 11:28

A 35-year-old man died at AIIMS, 19 days after he was exposed to
radioactive material in the scrap market of Mayapuri in west Delhi.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Man-exposed-to-radiation-dies-another-critical-in-Delhi/articleshow/5862748.cms

...and I am Sid Harth

[cogitoergosum]

India, a World Wasteland?: Sid Harth
http://bakulaji.typepad.com/blog/india-a-world-wasteland-sid-harth.html

In DU, storekeeper smarter
- Radiation-spewing device sold after elaborate exercise
G.S. MUDUR

DU vice-chancellor Deepak Pental
New Delhi, May 3:

An elaborate 36-day exercise involving an eight-member Delhi
University faculty committee cleared the sale of a radiation-spewing
instrument as scrap, lifting an unofficial two-year freeze rooted in a
storekeeper’s words of caution, documents and varsity sources
suggest.

The revelation indicates that the sale of the DU chemistry faculty’s
gamma irradiator, which led to India’s first death from radiation
exposure, was not an unscripted, spur-of-the-moment decision.

Scrap dealers who bought the instrument dismantled it, exposing
themselves to radioactive cobalt-60. One scrap worker has died and
seven others are ill from radiation poisoning.

Radiation safety regulators have expressed surprise at the faculty’s
decision to sell, breaching safety guidelines. DU vice-chancellor
Deepak Pental had last week declined to reveal who within the
university had taken the decision to write off the irradiator and
auction it as scrap.

Pental said he had asked a three-member panel to investigate the
circumstances under which it was sold.

A former member of the chemistry faculty and non-teaching staff have
said a storekeeper had expressed concern at the first suggestion from
the faculty to dispose of the gamma irradiator about two years ago.

The storekeeper, who has been in the department for more than 20
years, informed the faculty in 2007 or 2008 that this was a
“dangerous” instrument, the faculty member and non-teaching staff
said.

The disposal of the gamma irradiator appeared to have been kept in
abeyance after these words of caution until January this year when the
chemistry faculty initiated a fresh exercise to get rid of old and
unused instruments. The gamma irradiator procured from Canada in 1968
has been unused since 1985.

Documents made available to The Telegraph suggest that the head of the
chemistry department, Virinder Parmar, had sent a note on January 20,
this year seeking approval for the disposal of old and unused
equipment.

On February 6, DU approved an eight-member committee with Parmar as
chair and four other chemistry faculty as members, as well as a
faculty member each from the departments of botany, zoology and plant
molecular biology.

The documents suggest this committee was to meet on February 10 to
work out a plan to “write off” the unwanted equipment along with steel
and wooden furniture of the department.

Besides Parmar, the committee included S.M.S. Chauhan, R.C. Rastogi,
A.K. Prasad and R.K. Sharma from the chemistry faculty, Roop Lal from
zoology, I. Usha Rao from botany and J.P. Khurana from plant molecular
biology.

Parmar and another chemistry faculty member declined to comment on how
the irradiator had been discussed in the meeting. Radiation regulators
say the cautionary signs for radioactivity on the instrument should
have alerted the committee.

Six days after the meeting, on February 16, DU’s engineering
department announced that the public auction would be held on February
26 through a note circulated to various university divisions and to
scrap dealers.

“This sale appears to have gone through the standard write-off and
auction procedure,” said a former faculty member.

Pental had earlier this week hinted the faculty members may have
miscalculated the radioactivity from the instrument. But radiation
safety regulators say the faculty was “not authorised” to engage in
any such calculations.

In the first week of April, eight scrap workers in Delhi’s Mayapuri
area fell ill with symptoms of radiation exposure. Scientists have
determined that radioactivity from the cobalt-60 was millions of times
the normal background level.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100504/jsp/frontpage/story_12409223.jsp

DU in radiation glare
OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
New Delhi, April 29:

Delhi University faculty members failed to recognise the health hazard
posed by an instrument spewing gamma radiation they sold as scrap, a
senior university official said today, admitting negligence in an
incident that led to India’s first radiation death.

A panel of faculty from the university’s chemistry department had
authorised the auction of the unused instrument that contained
radioactive cobalt-60. It was dismantled by scrap workers earlier this
month. One worker who was exposed to the radiation died, and seven are
still ill.

“Negligence is obvious,” vice-chancellor Deepak Pental said. “The
university is apologetic about what has happened,” he said, announcing
that he had asked a panel of experts to probe the negligence.

While the instrument was procured from Canada in 1968 and had not been
in use since about 1985, the presence of a gamma radiation facility in
the department had been “common knowledge”, a faculty member who had
joined the department in the early-1970s told The TelegraphWhile the
instrument was procured from Canada in 1968 and had not been in use
since about 1985, the presence of a gamma radiation facility in the
department had been “common knowledge”, a faculty member who had
joined the department in the early-1970s told The Telegraph.

A senior atomic energy official said the unauthorised sale of the
instrument by the faculty suggested a level of irresponsibility and
laxity unacceptable with radiation sources“None other than the Atomic
Energy Regulatory Board has the authority to assess the potential
health hazard from a source of radiation,” the official said.

“I would not blame scrapyard workers. They may have had little
knowledge of radioactivity. But I would not have expected this
(action) from a university faculty,” the official said. The panel of
chemistry faculty who had authorised the auction was not available for
comment. The chemistry department head didn’t respond to phone calls.

Pental said it is possible those who authorised the sale had believed
the radioactivity from the instrument was not significant because it
was more than 40 years old. "The inquiry panel will determine why this
happened," he said.

The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board set up in 1983 has built an
inventory of sources or radiation used in hospitals, industry and
research institutions, but the cobalt-60 at DU appeared to be outside
the AERB radar, a source said.

The AERB has also initiated an independent investigation that is
expected to examine the documentation associated with the instrument
and determine why it remained out of its inventory, the source said.

"While the AERB collects information -- it also expects disclosure by
those [institutions] who possess such instruments," an official said.

Pental said the university has a "strong desire" that the incident
should be investigated. "If mistakes have occurred, we should learn
from them," he said. Pental said he would request all university
departments to contribute to pay compensation to the victims of the
radiation exposure.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100430/jsp/nation/story_12397425.jsp

DU link to radiation death
OUR BUREAU
New Delhi, April 28:

A laboratory instrument procured by Delhi University from Canada 42
years ago and lying unused for 20 years was the source of the
radiation that has killed one person in the capital, Delhi police
claimed today.

At least eight persons involved in the scrap business were exposed to
gamma radiation from radioactive cobalt-60 earlier this month after
they tried to process metal junk in their scrapyard in a Delhi
suburb.

Atomic energy authorities had suspected that the cobalt-60 had slipped
into India through the import of metal scrap, asserting that a
rigorous inventory control and monitoring system would prevent a leak
from domestic sources.

But Delhi police, who questioned the scrapyard workers, have traced it
to the chemistry department of Delhi University, which bought it from
Canada in 1968.

“The scrap dealer had in February 2010 bought a gamma irradiator,
which had cobalt-60,” said Ajay Kashyap, the joint commissioner of
police.

“The university board decided to conduct an auction for the material
after it was found lying unused in a room since 1985. When the dealer
took the equipment apart and peeled off the cover, it led to radiation
exposure,” Kashyap said. A senior atomic energy official told The
Telegraph tonight that the age of the instrument might explain why it
never entered into the inventory maintained by the Atomic Energy
Regulatory Board.

“The AERB was set up in 1983 — and if the chemistry department stopped
using it in 1985, the instrument might never have been registered,”
the official said. “The age might also explain the strange wire-like
shape of the cobalt-60 we found.”

Investigations revealed that the source of radiation was a gamma cell
used in experiments to analyse the effect of gamma radiation on
chemicals, Kashyap said.

In the auction, it was picked up by a scrap dealer who dismantled it
and sold its parts to other scrap dealers. The component containing
the gamma cell reached Deepak Jain, who is now sick in a hospital
after being exposed to radiation.

Jain and other workers in his shop were exposed to millions of times
the background radiation. One of the exposed workers died in Delhi on
Monday night after suffering from immune system failure.

A team of atomic energy scientists had removed the cobalt-60 to the
Narora Atomic Power Station — the nearest site with human resources
and facilities to handle open sources of radioactive material.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100429/jsp/nation/story_12393434.jsp

http://navanavonmilita.wordpress.com/2010/05/03/india-a-world-wasteland-sid-harth/

...and I am Sid Harth