The Indonesian Quarantine Agency (Barantin) has destroyed 5.7 tons of shrimp in 494 cardboard boxes contaminated with Cesium-137 to ensure food safety. The operation, carried out with the Cesium-137 Handling Task Force, aims to protect public health and the environment.
The Indonesian Quarantine Agency (Barantin) collaborated with the Cesium-137 Handling Task Force to destroy 5.7 tons of shrimp contaminated with the radioactive substance Cesium-137. The operation took place on Saturday (November 15) at PT Prasadha Pamunah Limbah Industri (PPLI) in Bogor, as part of the government's commitment to safeguarding food security and national biological resources.
Akhmad Alfaraby, Director of Fish Quarantine Actions at Barantin, stated that the destruction demonstrates the government's seriousness. "This destruction activity is a form of Barantin's commitment to ensuring food safety," Alfaraby said in Jakarta on Sunday.
The destruction was based on recommendations from Barantin and the Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency (Bapeten). The process involved the Ministry of Environment and Forestry/Environmental Control Agency (KLH/BPLH), Bapeten, and the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) through the Cesium-137 Task Force Unit. This collaboration ensured procedures adhered to radiation safety standards.
Rasio Ridho Sani, Deputy for Pollution and Environmental Damage Control at KLH/BPLH, explained that the destruction used a vertical stoker-type incinerator equipped with Air Emission Control Equipment and Continuous Emission Monitoring System (CEMS). "The ash from incineration is further processed and then placed in a landfill," Rasio stated.
The process applied strict radiation and environmental safety protocols, making it safe for the surrounding environment. "One destruction process takes four hours; we will destroy 1 ton today and continue later," Rasio added. This step ensures circulating food commodities remain safe and healthy for the public.