Radioactive waste cans found in Thai parking lot, 5 take ill

"Four workers were admitted to hospitals from February 15 to 17 suffering from exposure to dangerous levels of radiation after they were exposed to cobalt 60 on or after February 1," Public Health Ministry spokesman Amphon Jindawatthana told Reuters.

The fifth person in hospital was a garbage collector who sold the parts to the scrap yard, officials said, after finding them in a parking lot where youths often play soccer.

Chaweng Suwannarat, manager for Medical Equipment of Kamolsukosol Co which sells cobalt 60 to Thai users, told Reuters on Monday that the three canisters had been in his company’s care but some cylinders were stolen.The first canister, two feet (0.6 metre) wide and five feet (1.5 metres) long, was wrapped in a heat resistant foil shield, officials at the Thai government’s Office of the Atomic Energy for Peace (OAEP) told reporters.Two metal cylinders, stolen from the canister, were found in the scrap yard and taken away by officials.

The canister had atomic energy symbols and was labelled "atomic energy of Canada Ltd, Ottawa, Canada commercial product model 78, serial number 15", officials said.

Cobalt 60 is an isotope artificially produced to be used as a source of gamma rays or high energy radiation. It is used in cancer treatment machines, in food irradiation and in glass colouring plants, OAEP officials said.

Officials said their latest measurements showed the level of radiation in the area was below the danger level. The three have been moved from the parking lot to OAEP for safekeeping.

All government offices and banks were closed for a Buddhist holiday, and officials at the Canadian embassy were not available for comment.

Arthit Ourairat, Minister for Science, Technology and Environment, said the company would face charges for mishandling the radioactive waste, noting that under the law such containers had to be kept in proper storage areas and not in the open.

He said he would call a meeting with around 100 users of cobalt 60 on Wednesday to prevent such incidents occurring again.