October 13, 2025
JAKARTA – Arecent string of radioactive contamination cases in several regions has prompted calls for greater oversight on imported scrap metal, a high-demand commodity with irradiated traces that may pollute the environment and harm the public.
More than 450,000 tonnes of scrap metal have been imported to Indonesia so far this year, according to data from the United Nations Commodity Trade Statistics Database (UN Comtrade), totaling nearly US$161 million of revenue mostly generated from Japan, Australia and China.
Scrap metal is often used as raw material for recycling in manufacturing, construction and steel and aluminum production industries. It is often seen as a cheaper alternative to newly-mined iron ore.
But unchecked scrap metal, which can contain invisible particles barred from entering the country, has been under the spotlight following the recent discovery of Cesium-137 (Cs-137) radioactive contamination in an industrial area in Cikande village, Serang, Banten. Some of the radioactive materials, believed to be sourced from scrap metal stored in a warehouse, were also found in shrimp products exported to the United States.
Ongoing investigation by a special task force under the Coordinating Food Ministry found the Cs-137 contamination spread through airborne dust produced during the scrap metal melting process in a smelting plant owned by PT Peter Metal Technology (PMT) and reached nearby factories.
Short-term exposure to Cs-137, a nuclear reaction byproduct, can cause symptoms such as diarrhea and headaches, among other symptoms. Prolonged exposure to high-intensity of the material may pose more serious health impacts, such as increased risks of cancer and organ damage.
Read also: Govt rushes to clean up cesium-137 spill in Banten
Earlier this week, the Office of Coordinating Food Minister special staffer Bara Khrisna Hasibuan said the task force has found 22 factories contaminated with Cs-137, in addition to 10 scrap metal storage sites discovered last week.
One of the factories, owned by PT Bahari Makmur Sejati that produced the contaminated shrimp, has finished decontamination and was declared safe by the Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency (Bapeten).
“The remaining 21 factories will soon undergo decontamination before Bapeten inspection,” Bara said on Wednesday, adding all contaminated materials would be stored in PT PMT’s warehouse that has been designated as interim facility, pending final disposal.
He added the government has decided to tighten scrap metal imports by temporarily halting the issuance of import recommendations and permits.
Banning imports?
Experts fear the recent contamination in Banten was only a tip of the iceberg of a bigger problem that stems from lack of radioactive checking of import entries and unsupervised waste management among local industries.
The reduced import barriers for waste coupled with monitoring shortage have exposed the real picture of industrial waste governance in the country, according to Yuyun Ismawati, co-chair of International Pollutants Elimination Networks (IPEN).
Referring to the Banten incident, she said the radioactive material was “likely to originate from imported metal scraps,” or from the containers used to ship them that have been contaminated by nuclear waste.
Yuyun added the government had not required businesses to publicly report the pollutant release and transfer register, or a system for information about environmental releases and transfers of hazardous substances, from their facilities. It allows companies to continue operating without facing any punishment.
Jakarta-based think tank Association of People’s Emancipation and Ecological Action (AEER) blamed businesses’ lenient responsibility and inadequate due diligence in ensuring environmental protection and public health.
“Among the loopholes for radioactive materials entering [the country] are due to the shortage in materials tracking system and weak supervision on imported waste,” AEER coordinator Pius Ginting said in a recent statement.
Since 2021, scrap metal has been excluded from the list of strictly regulated hazardous waste, allowing them to be imported for leniently. But Bara said earlier this week the government may consider giving the hazardous waste status to scrap metal to support import restrictions.
Read also: Health scare taints Indonesia’s export reputation
Rather than a complete ban on secondhand material imports, the government should be more selective in allowing its suppliers, according to radioactive waste researcher Djarot Sulistio Wisnubroto of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN). Authorities should only grant only those certified with zero radioactive materials while also pushing local businesses to comply with improved safety standards.
“The repeated cases don’t mean that the local industry is incapable,” Djarot said, “but they highlight vulnerabilities that we need to address together.”
The Indonesian Iron and Steel Industry Association (IISIA) did not respond to The Jakarta Post’s request for comments.