An Indonesian task force found traces of radioactivity in 22 facilities at an industrial zone near the capital, a government spokesperson said on Wednesday, weeks after US authorities recalled potentially contaminated frozen shrimp.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued the recall in August after the radioactive isotope Caesium 137 was detected in shrimp exported by the company PT Bahari Makmur Sejati.
The Indonesian government then launched an investigation, during which the isotope was detected at the Cikande industrial estate, about 60 kilometres (35 miles) west of Jakarta.
At least 22 plants in the industrial zone were contaminated, said task force spokesperson Bara Hasibuan, adding that authorities were tightening surveillance in the area.
Health authorities have also carried out medical checks on workers and residents living near the industrial estate and found nine people who tested positive for exposure to Caesium 137, he said.
They were referred to a hospital for further checks and have since returned to their homes.
“We are tightening restrictions on entry and exit routes from the area, and we continue to identify and inspect facilities where contamination may have occurred,” Bara told reporters Wednesday.
Vehicles were also being inspected for potential contamination as they moved through the area, he said.
Bara said the government will impose a restriction on scrap metal imports, which was reportedly a source of the contamination.
Residents living in highly contaminated areas will be relocated until decontamination is completed, Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq said.
“The safety of residents and the environment is the top priority. The decontamination process will continue to be monitored until the area is declared completely safe,” Hanif said in a social media post.
The FDA said long-term exposure to even low doses of Caesium is linked to an elevated risk of cancer.
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