Radioactive diapers behind elevated radiation levels in Nantou trash

Taipei, Feb. 10 (CNA) Elevated radiation levels detected at a waste incineration facility in Nantou County last weekend were likely caused by the diapers used by a patient undergoing radionuclide therapy, and do not pose a danger to the public, the Nuclear Safety Commission said Monday.

According to media reports, elevated radiation levels were detected in two garbage trucks transporting trash from Nantou's Puli Township to a waste incineration plant outside the county on Saturday, prompting the facility to refuse service.

In a press release issued Monday, the Nuclear Safety Commission said it learned of the case on Sunday and immediately contacted sanitation workers in Puli before dispatching officials to the site.

After conducting testing on Monday, nuclear safety officials identified the source of the radiation as paper diapers contaminated with Lutetium-177 (Lu-177), the commission said.

According to a Liberty Times report, 13 contaminated diapers were found in the heap where the trash was being stored, which had slightly elevated radiation levels of up to 10 μsv/h.

Lu-177 is a radioactive isotope used for medical purposes, primarily in the treatment of neuroendocrine tumors and metastatic prostate cancer, it said.

The incident was believed to have resulted from the improper disposal of household waste by a patient who had returned home after receiving radionuclide therapy, the commission said.

The diapers have been quarantined by the Puli sanitation team and will be sent for incineration after their radiation levels decay naturally to background levels, it said.

The process will not adversely affect the health of the sanitation team or the general public, it added.

Following the incident, the commission said it had instructed hospitals to ensure compliance with discharge guidelines for patients undergoing nuclear medicine treatment, which require patients to return home only after radiation levels have dropped to regulated safety thresholds.