VietNamNet Bridge - The Ministry of Science and Technology on March 28 announced that a local observing station detected radioactive substance in the atmosphere but as the content is very limited, it poses no health hazards.

 
“The observing station of the Institute for Nuclear Science and Technology under the Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute has detectedI-131 radioactive isotopes in the air. However, the contamination is limited so it poses no health hazards,” the Ministry’s report released on March 28 says.

 

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

 

According to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), radioactive clouds formed from leaks in the Japan nuclear incident will float to the south of Japan. In Southeast Asia, radioactive clouds are forecasted to reach Indonesia and Malaysia on March 28 and 29.

 

CTBTO’s observing stations can detect minute contamination - which is practically harmless. The nearest station to Vietnam is the one in the Philippines, which has detected radioactive isotopes.

 

The clouds are expected to not arrive in Vietnam yet but have the tendency to spread and are appearing to be heading towards Vietnam in the southeast direction.

 

At the end of March 29, there could be some small radioactive clouds near China’s Hainan Island and near Vietnam’s southernmost province of Ca Mau and Phu Quoc Island.

 

In Japan, the nuclear incident at the Fukushima 1 nuclear plant is still complicated.

 

On March 28 afternoon, medical experts met in Hanoi to discuss plans to cope with the radiation issue.

 

PV