The Japanese Atomic Energy Agency yesterday said that five workers at a nuclear facility that handles plutonium have been exposed to high levels of radiation after a bag containing highly radioactive material apparently broke during equipment inspection.
The state-run agency said the incident occurred on Tuesday at its Oarai Research & Development Center, a facility for nuclear fuel study that uses highly toxic plutonium.
The cause of the accident is under investigation.
The mishap poses a major nuclear security concern as well as a question as to whether the handlers and their health were adequately protected at the facility.
The agency said its initial survey found contamination inside the nostrils of three of the five men — a sign they had inhaled radioactive dust.
All five were also found to be contaminated on their hands and feet, but the radioactive material was likely to have been removed by taking off their gloves, shoe covers and other protective gear and by taking a shower, the agency said.
One of the men’s survey indicated high levels of plutonium exposure in his lungs, with the dose showing nearly 1,000 times that of his earlier nostril survey, agency spokesman Masataka Tanimoto said.
The figure, 22,000 becquerels, could mean his exposure levels in the lungs are not immediately life-threatening, but are well above an average annual dose limit for nuclear workers, Tanimoto said.
The workers did not have any visible signs of health problems, Tanimoto said.
Japan’s possession of large numbers of plutonium stockpiles, resulting from the country’s struggling nuclear fuel reprocessing program, has already faced international criticism.
Japan should abandon its spent fuel recycling ambitions because nuclear plant startups are still coming slowly amid persistent anti-nuclear sentiment since the 2011 Fukushima Dai-Ichi crisis, critics say.
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