Deliberate contamination at Kaiga

Tuesday, 1 December 2009

Indian authorities have been shocked by the apparently deliberate radioactive contamination of drinking water by a disgruntled nuclear worker.
 

Kaiga (Image: NPCIL)

An investigation was sparked after routine urine samples from a number of staff at Kaiga nuclear power plant were found to have elevated levels of radiation. It was found that a small amount of heavy water had been added to a water cooler.

 

Heavy water itself is not radioactive, and is physically and chemically similar to regular water where it is present in tiny amounts. However, a body of heavy water often contains trace amounts of the hydrogren isotope tritium left over from manufacture and so can be mildly radioactive.

 

"Prima-facie, it looks like an employee did it just to grab media attention and register a protest against the management," said Indian minister for science and technology Prithviraj Singh Chavan. 

 

The incident is being taken very seriously, said Chavan. Potential outside influences on staff are being considered and plant owner Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd has launched its own internal enquiry. Police are not currenly involved.