New Delhi: The radioactive substance, which leaked at the cargo complex of IGI Airport here, is sodium iodide, a nuclear medicine, the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) today said.
Sources in the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) said the radioactive substance is a "permissible" one and "tolerable" to the human body.
"Our team is already at the site and the area has been cordoned off. The substance is Sodium Iodide 131, which is a nuclear medicine. It is a localised leak and our team has to open the cargo to know more about it," AERB Vice-Chairman R Bhattacharya said.
Sodium Iodide 131 is a medicine used to treat hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid gland) and some cases of thyroid cancer.
"Sodium Iodide 131 is produced by keeping Tellurium in a nuclear reactor for eight days. We also produce this medicine in India with the help of Dhruva reactor and send to 120 centres.
"When the airport authorities detected leak from three packets (which had come from Turkey), they alerted the emergency response team. These three will be sent to our laboratory in Delhi where it will be disposed," DAE Secretary R K Sinha told PTI.
After the incident, Sinha, who is also the Atomic Energy Commission Chairman, visited the spot.
