AI6YR Ben

As I expected... Radioactive hot potato.

The Straits Times (10/29/25)

Ship with radioactive zinc dust stuck near Philippine port, official says

"MANILA – A ship with 23 containers of radioactive zinc dust is stuck off the coast in the Philippines, unable to unload because there is no site that has agreed to bury the material, according to a top official."

https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/ship-with-radioactive-zinc-dust-stuck-near-philippine-port-official-says

#radioactive #cesium137 #Philippines #radioactivity #indonesia

Ship with radioactive zinc dust stuck near Philippine port, official says

The shipment was meant for Indonesia, but returned to Manila after it was found to be contaminated. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

The Straits Times
Oct 29 at 4:17pmWeb
Show threadAI6YR BenOct 29

"Day after day, day after day,
We stuck, nor breath nor motion;
As idle as a painted ship
Upon a painted ocean.

Water, water, every where,
And all the boards did shrink;
Water, water, every where,
Nor any drop to drink."

(Rime of the Ancient Mariner)

Show threadLed By Gilded FoolsOct 29
@ai6yr #MoviePlot : Radioactive ships' crew die and become seafaring zombies. Mayhem ensues as they convert port cities into radioactive zombie-land
Show threadDanOct 29
@ai6yr ughhh.. why does this remind me of the ammonium nitrate in Beirut? once someone finally deigns to accept it, hopefully it gets stored, managed, and disposed of properly.
Show threadme_valentijnOct 29

@ai6yr
So the nettlesome question is: how does a large amount of zinc get contaminated with Caesium-137 during the recycling process?

It seems likely that they would have been stored, transported, and/or melted down together, which suggests they were also potentially collected together. So perhaps not merely a stray stolen gauge, but a more extensive dismantling of something with substantial amounts of galvanized materials (fences, pipes, steel building beams) in the vicinity.

Show threadAI6YR BenOct 29
@me_valentijn I think we're still peeling the onion on this problem.
Show threadLed By Gilded FoolsOct 29

@ai6yr @me_valentijn

Hi @bojacobs do you have any insights you can share into the question in the toot above mine?

Show threadBo JacobsOct 31
@MHowell @ai6yr @me_valentijn I agree and think that there is more that is unknown about the contaminations than is known. It is unlikley to have been simple recycling.
Show threadJohn BurnsOct 29

@ai6yr

What is the amount of time, before they decide it is too much work & cost - and they move the ship offshore and sink it.

That is how much time folks have to make a decision.

😱

Show threadAI6YR BenOct 29
@JohnJBurnsIII I suspect they're going to push them overboard, if they have that capability on that ship, to make the issue disappear.
Show threadSuzanne Aldrich (she/her)Oct 29
@ai6yr I’m just wondering why radioactivity isn’t scanned *before* putting the cargo full of radioactive zinc dust onto the container ship?
@JohnJBurnsIII
Show threadAI6YR BenOct 29
@suzannealdrich @JohnJBurnsIII This stuff was refused entry into Indonesia, now the Phillippines doesn't want it back, LOL. Radioactive Hot Potato, as it were.
Show threadSuzanne Aldrich (she/her)Oct 29
@ai6yr
Why do the ship insurers not require radioactivity scanning to prevent radioactive hot potato ships?
@JohnJBurnsIII
Show threadAI6YR BenOct 29
@suzannealdrich @JohnJBurnsIII LOL
Show threadSuzanne Aldrich (she/her)Oct 29
@ai6yr
I just don’t understand how it can get this bad. Why are people not thinking of these things? Do they just not care, or is it willful ignorance, or what? What did they think was gonna happen when you load up full of radioactive zinc dust? What did insurers think was gonna happen if they don’t do anything to prevent this? Assuming this is going to be a giant insurance payout to someone.
@JohnJBurnsIII
Show threadAI6YR BenOct 29
@suzannealdrich @JohnJBurnsIII Lack of radiation scanning in Asian ports, it seems like. The only reason the US caught it, is someone got paranoid about a dirty bomb hitting US ports (terror risk) and was scanning for radioactivity since 9/11. This of course is some kind of horrible recycling of medical equipment (probably) that was not checked for radioactivity.
Show threadWulfy—Speaker to the machinesOct 29

@suzannealdrich @ai6yr @JohnJBurnsIII

The offices of "Look for shit that may kill folks" has been shut down because it's too woke.
It's very manly man to die a stupid, preventable death.

/s Im now putting in /s because poeslaw

Show threadme_valentijnNov 3

@ai6yr
This is perhaps interesting. The recycling company in the Phillipines claims they aren't the source of the radiation, and that the Chinese company mixed their nice zinc with skanky zinc from another source in the process of exporting it to Indonesia.

Possibly just trying to cover their ass, but there could be some truth to it 🤷‍♀️
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/philippines-radioactive-zinc-manila-bay-indonesia-5437791

Show threadAI6YR BenNov 3
@me_valentijn Radioactive hot potato continues LOL
Show threadChuckNov 3

@me_valentijn @ai6yr

I always amazes me that they can talk about this without once mentioning "Why is there radioactive zinc being recycled?!?" I want to know, who is doing what that is making their zinc radioactive, hmm?