Friday 30 April, 2010
New Delhi: As Cobalt – 60 was traced in the Chemistry Department of Delhi University. Vice-Chancellor Prof. Deepak Pental said the University takes “moral responsibility and was very “apologetic” for what occurred and the damage caused. In west Delhi Exposure to the radioactive material caused the death of a scrap worker. The shop owner and a few others are undergoing medical treatment after they were exposed to the radioactive material earlier this month.
In 1968 the Cobalt-60 was imported by Prof. V. K. Sharma from Canada. It took place by the permission of BARC. The Chemistry Department wanted to sell it off as the material was lying in a room for twenty five years. The report of last use of radioactive material Cobalt-60 was in 1985. Pental explained, “It was calculated that it had outlived its radioactive time because it comes to half in every five years”. He said in this regard he spoke to the Department of Atomic Energy and body as already set up a committee to further probe the matter.
Pental said the University has constructed a separate three-member committee. It consists of S.C.Pancholi, a retired professor and a nuclear scientist, Dr. N. C. Goomer and Dr. Dwarkanath, to investigate the matter. He added, “Our University has a very strong desire that it should be investigated. We must learn from this incident so that these things do not occur”. Pental said he has written to all departments in the University to take all the necessary precautions and planning to give requisite compensation for the victim of mishap.
The radioactive isotope of cobalt is lustrous, hard and grey metal and used mainly in medical equipments and cancer therapy machines. It is hard, lustrous and grey metal. There are eleven sources of radiation in the Mayapuri scrap market, from where Cobalt 60 was recovered this month.
