A vessel carrying containers contaminated with Cesium-137 (Cs-137), a radioactive substance known to cause cancer upon exposure, is set to return to the Port of Manila, its port of origin, later this month.

Maritime and regulatory authorities are preparing for the repatriation after Indonesian officials blocked the entry of nine containers that tested positive for Cs-137.

The shipment, initially declared as zinc concentrate powder, was intercepted at Indonesia’s Tanjung Priok Port when Radiation Portal Monitors detected radiation levels up to 210 times higher than normal.

According to Indonesia’s Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency (Bapeten), five of the nine containers triggered radiation alarms upon arrival.

“Based on the documents, the containers — filled with zinc concentrate powder — originated from the Philippines and should not have triggered an alarm,” Bapeten’s legal and communications bureau chief, Ishak, told Indonesian media.

Further analysis confirmed the radiation came from Cs-137 nuclides inside the containers.

Fallout

The discovery caused alarm in Indonesia’s export industry after the contaminated shipment reportedly exposed nearby goods, including shrimp and cloves bound for the United States.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) later confirmed that traces of Cs-137 were detected in one sample of frozen shrimp from PT Bahari Makmur Sejati and in cloves from PT Natural Java Spice.

In an advisory, the FDA said it has added both Indonesian firms to its import alert list for chemical contamination and barred their products from entering the US market until they can prove compliance.

Following the incident, Bapeten ordered the repatriation of all contaminated containers to the Philippines. “Bapeten recommends that all contaminated containers be returned to their country of origin, the Philippines, due to confirmed Cs-137 contamination,” Ishak stated.

A source confirmed to the DAILY TRIBUNE that the cargoes were originally set for repatriation on 13 October but were rescheduled for 27 October aboard the MV Sinar Sanur.

“Some containers were sent ahead to Indonesia but were blocked upon entry and have not yet returned to the Philippines. There are an additional 10 containers still here, from the same group that was cleared for radioactivity. Those from Indonesia have not yet been processed,” a Philippine Ports Authority source said.

Under scrutiny

Authorities have traced the shipment to Zannwann International Trading Corp., a Chinese trading firm based in Meycauayan, Bulacan.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government, through Undersecretaries Serafin Baretto Jr. and Nestor Sanares, convened an emergency meeting with officials from the PPA, Bureau of Customs (BoC), Department of Health-Bureau of Quarantine, and the Department of Science and TechnologyPhilippine Nuclear Research Institute (DoST-PNRI) to address the situation.

PNRI inspectors confirmed Cs-137 contamination outside two warehouses belonging to Xin Recycling, identified as a sister company of Zannwann.

“Inspection teams were not permitted to enter the warehouses where several bags of zinc dust are stored,” the PNRI reported.

“A facility representative admitted they sourced the zinc dust from various steel processing companies nationwide, including SteelAsia and CAPASCO, exporting it at least twice a year.”

SteelAsia Manufacturing Corp. official Steve Araneta said they are looking into the matter.

Radioactive threat

Cesium-137 is commonly used in small quantities to calibrate radiation detection equipment and in medical radiation therapy devices. However, large-scale exposure can cause severe burns, acute radiation sickness, and even death. Long-term exposure increases the risk of cancer due to gamma radiation.

Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno had maintained that the Philippines has the capacity to detect radioactive substances in imported goods, even as reports surfaced that two Radiation Portal Monitors (RPMs) are currently out of service.

“All our major ports, especially Manila and Cebu, can detect radioactive substances in imports entering our jurisdiction,” Nepomuceno told the DAILY TRIBUNE in a text message.

He, however, admitted that the BoC needs to upgrade its capacity to monitor outbound shipments.

“I have instructed our officers to proceed with emergency procurement to enhance radiation monitoring for exports so we can prevent a similar incident,” he said, adding that he will seek congressional support for funds to modernize scanning equipment for both imports and exports.

Nepomuceno, who assumed office in July, earlier acknowledged that the BoC’s digitalization program lacked funding because the agency’s national expenditure plan was crafted before his appointment.