More radiation detected in Hanoi
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March 30, Doctor Trinh Van Giap, head of Vietnam Agency for Radiation and Nuclear Safety told Vietnamplus that its stations have recorded radioactive isotopes Cs-137 in Hanoi’s atmosphere.
This means that the Vietnamese capital is now contaminated with both I-131 and Cs-137 isotopes.
But the contamination is around 500,000 times below the country’s danger level, Vietnamplus earlier cited the Vietnamese Ministry of Science and Technology as saying.
Doctor Giap is unsure whether the radiation detection in Hanoi means that radioactive clouds have reached Vietnam.
However, he is positive the contamination has origins from nuclear reactor(s).
Meanwhile, stations from Da Lat Nuclear Research Institute based in the central highlands have not recorded Cs-137 in the air so far, said its director Associate Professor, Doctor Nguyen Nhi Dien.
For Doctor Dien, Cs-137 detection indicates the arrival of radioactive clouds in Vietnam.
Dien also assured that the current level of contamination is too small to pose any health risk.
On Monday afternoon, the Vietnamese Ministry of Science and Technology announced that Vietnamese stations have detected I-131 radioactive isotopes.
Doctor Nguyen Huu Nghia, head of the Military Institute for Radioactive Medicine and Tumor told VTC News that I – 131 isotopes in small amounts have no harm to humans and will become self-disintegrated in 8 days.
According to Doctor Nghia, in the worst case scenario, iodine medicine will be distributed to the people for protection.
