Scientists Friday sealed off part of an industrial area after radioactive material injured five people in Mayapuri, west of Delhi. “An expert team has already identified the radiation source and removed it,” said Sharad Agarwal, deputy commissioner of Delhi police. “They are in the process of scanning the whole area and hopefully in the next few hours the area will be cleared.” The “bright, shining” material was part of a load of medical waste bought by a scrap dealer in the area, Press Trust of India reported. The injured had come into contact with the substance, the agency said, and fallen unconscious. The affected area has been evacuated and cordoned off, he said, adding the radiation “is not that severe.” Scientists suspect the source of radiation to be Cobalt 60, a radioactive isotope of cobalt. After entering a living mammal (such as a human), most of the 60Co gets excreted in feces. A small amount is absorbed by liver, kidneys, and bones, where the prolonged exposure to gamma radiation can cause cancer. Cobalt is an element of steel-alloys. Uncontrolled disposal of 60Co in scrap is responsible for the radioactivity found in several iron-based products. The accident in Mayapuri occurred in a scrap yard close to residential neighborhoods, when a worker was sawing off a piece of metal, local media reported. Police said they were investigating the origin of the material.
