According to a report by the Ministry of Science and Technology, radioactive
isotopes have been founded in five provinces and cities, including Hanoi, HCM
City, Ninh Thuan, Lang Son and Lam Dong.

Observing stations on March 30 recorded artificial I-131
radioactive isotopes in Ninh Thuan province (19.2 micro Berquerel per one cubic
meter of air, higher than the normal level. Measurement on March 29 in HCM City
recorded I-131 radioactive isotopes at 20.1 micro Berquerel per a cubic meter
of air. The threshold to detect this isotope is 0.5 micro Berquerel per a cubic
meter of air.

The same day, the Institute for Nuclear Science and
Technology said that its stations recorded radioactive isotopes Cs-137 and
Cs-134 in Hanoi’s
atmosphere.

Earlier, I-131 radioactive isotopes were found in the northern province of Lang Son and Da Lat in the central
highland province
of Lam Dong on March 28.

But the contamination is hundreds of thousand times below
the country’s danger level and it is harmless to health, said Dr. Dang Thanh
Luong, vice chief of the Agency for Nuclear Radioactive Safety. Luong said that
the radiation has origins from nuclear reactors in Japan.

Meanwhile, stations of the Da Lat Nuclear Research Institute
based in Da Lat have not recorded Cs-137 in the air so far, said the
institute’s director Dr. Nguyen Nhi Dien.

According to Dr. Dien, Cs-137 detection indicates the
arrival of radioactive clouds in Vietnam but he assured that the
current level of contamination is too small to pose any health risk.

Dr. Nguyen Huu Nghia, director of the Military Institute for
Radioactive Medicine and Tumor said that I – 131 isotopes in small amounts have
no harm to humans and will disintegrate in 8 days. In the worst case scenario,
iodine medicine will be distributed to the people for protection.

Atomic energy
security project approved

The Vietnamese government has approved a project on carrying
out measures to ensure security in the atomic energy area.

According to a recent decision signed by Prime Minister
Nguyen Tan Dung, the project will focus on the prevention work and protection
of people’s lives and health and the environment.

The project will be carried out in all localities in the
country and will concern all application of atomic energy for peaceful
purposes, with priorities being given to ensuring security at border gates, key
nuclear establishments and radiation projects and establishments.

The project is aimed at ensuring political security and social
safety and order in the atomic energy area, contributing to national
security, and the Party guidelines and
State policies and laws on application of atomic energy for peaceful purpose
and socio-economic development.

The decision stipulates that it is responsibility of all
people, sectors and organizations and individuals operating in the field to
ensure atomic energy security, with police being the key force.

It gave out synchronous measures, including raising public
awareness, accelerating State management, boosting international cooperation in
fighting crime in the field as well as working out plans to prevent, discover
and cope with any nuclear and radiation problems

PV