M’sia to test water, rain samples for radioactivity

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KUALA LUMPUR: The Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry is to test samples of sea water, rain water and soil for radioactivity at various locations in the country and release the results periodically beginning 3pm yesterday.

The tests are being done following the detection of higher-than-permissible levels of radioactivity in the samples of sea water taken from near the earthquake-damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan, Minister Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili said yesterday.

The Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB) would conduct the tests to determine the density of Iodine 131 (I-131) and Cesium 137 (Cs-137) radionuclides in the samples of sea water, rain water and soil, he said in a statement.

“A report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on March 29 confirmed that the situation was still serious at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station in Japan,” he said.

Dr Ongkili said the Malaysian Nuclear Agency would release the results of the analyses of the samples periodically beginning 3pm yesterday.

The Fukushima Daiichi plant was damaged after an earthquake of 9.0-magnitude rocked north-eastern Japan and unleashed a tsunami on March 11, causing more than 10,000 deaths and 20,000 unaccounted for in the twin disasters. — Bernama