Officials scramble for answers after receiving shipping containers with shocking contents — here's why the stakes are so high

Shipping containers filled with radioactive dust appeared in Indonesia in September — and it's not clear who is responsible.

What's happening?

Indonesia refused the entry of 23 shipping containers of radioactive zinc dust that appeared at a Jakarta port in September. The shipment originated from the Philippines, but officials are still scrambling to figure out who is responsible for the export.

The Philippine Nuclear Research Institute said that the materials originated with the Philippine manufacturer SteelAsia. SteelAsia, they contend, sold the zinc dust to the Chinese company Zannwann International Trading Corp., which exported the boxes, as The Maritime Executive reported.

However, SteelAsia has strongly denied responsibility for the materials and is even considering legal action against the PNRI.

The containers had elevated levels of radioactive isotope Cesium-137, which is a byproduct of processes including steel manufacturing and radioactive fission.

Why is Cesium-137 concerning?

Cesium-137 is used in small amounts in industrial gauges and cancer treatments, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At high doses, however, it can cause burns, radiation sickness, and even death.

Improper handling of Cesium-137 at an industrial level poses risks to public health. In September, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recalled shipments of shrimp from Indonesia that it found to be contaminated with Cesium-137.

The radioactive material apparently originated at an Indonesian industrial site near the shrimp company, as Bloomberg reported. That incident led Indonesia to halt exports of scrap metal, fearing contamination.

Because Cesium is a byproduct of nuclear fission — the process that fuels nuclear energy — the incident also sheds light on the difficulties of disposing of this type of waste. Nuclear reactors can generate enormous amounts of electricity without using dirty fuel, but they produce radioactive materials that, as this debacle has shown, no one seems to want to take responsibility for.

What's being done about the radioactive materials?

Indonesia shipped the containers back to the Philippines, where they have been sitting on a containership outside Manila, according to The Maritime Executive. They can't be unloaded until someone claims them and lays out a plan for their disposal. SteelAsia said that it was ordered to bury the materials, but the situation remains unresolved.

However, worldwide, some governments have made great strides in remediating radioactive waste, from allocating money to clean up industrial sites to repurposing radioactive materials into everyday products. Chinese researchers have even proposed using gamma rays to turn nuclear waste into safer materials that produce thermal energy.

How would you feel about a nuclear power plant being built near your home? I'd be excited 😀 I'd be scared 😨 I'd be angry 😠 I wouldn't care 🤷 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

💰Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips to save more, waste less, and make smarter choices — and earn up to $5,000 toward clean upgrades in TCD's exclusive Rewards Club.