Jakarta. Authorities are intensifying radioactive decontamination efforts at an industrial site in Serang, Banten, following the discovery of cesium-137, a radioactive isotope associated with nuclear accidents and weapons testing.

The case drew the attention of US regulators after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found traces of the same isotope in Indonesian food exports, raising concerns about wider contamination.

A multi-agency task force has been working to remove contaminated material from the Cikande Modern Industrial Estate. Crews using heavy machinery excavated high-radiation soil and debris, which were transferred to a temporary storage facility operated by private company Peter Metal Technology (PMT), officials said Friday.

Initial investigations traced the contamination to PMT, a steel plant in Cikande that processes scrap metal. Authorities have re-exported 14 containers of contaminated scrap from Tanjung Priok Port, with nine additional containers from the Philippines to follow. Officials also suspect that some of the contaminated containers may have been used previously to ship shrimp to the United States.

By Thursday, the team had secured 20 drums, 17 jumbo bags, and three pallets of radioactive waste, including high-density polyethylene drums and jumbo bags containing elevated levels of cesium-137. “The process will continue until the affected area is confirmed clean of radionuclide contamination,” said Rasio Ridho Sani, deputy for pollution and environmental damage control at the Environment Ministry.

The operation is being closely monitored by radiation protection officers from Indonesia’s Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency (Bapeten), while police bomb squads enforce strict controls on vehicles entering and leaving the site to prevent radioactive material from spreading.

Health officials have screened more than 1,500 workers in and around the industrial estate. Those showing signs of exposure have been given doses of prussian blue, a drug that helps remove cesium-137 from the body.

Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq described the cleanup as a “special incident” requiring full inter-agency coordination, public transparency, and community involvement to protect public health and the environment.

The domestic response comes as US authorities blocked imports from two Indonesian exporters after detecting cesium-137 in shipments. In August, the FDA issued an import alert on shrimp from Bahari Makmur Sejati, which supplies about 6 percent of US shrimp imports. Last week, the FDA also halted cloves from Natural Java Spice after detecting traces of the isotope.

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