Bali To Host International Conference On Ionising Radiation

Jakarta, Sept 24 (Antara) - The Indonesian island resort of Bali will soon host an international conference on the sources, effects, and the risks of ionising radiation, said an official. Anhar Riza Antariksawan, a researcher at the National Nuclear Energy Agency (BATAN), mentioned on Tuesday that BATAN will hold the conference in collaboration with the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR). "The seminar will be held a few days after the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Bali from October 10 to 11," added Antariksawan. Ionising radiation is high-frequency radiation that has enough energy to ionise an electron from an atom or molecule and damage the DNA in cells, which in turn may lead to cancer. He noted that the conference aims to collect data and spread scientific findings associated with the sources, effects, and risks of ionising radiation, besides stepping up good communication among the stakeholders. Antarisawan said the discussion in the conference will be on the emission of natural radiation, the emission of the work of medical radiation, the impact of radiation on health and environment, and emergency response and alertness against nuclear reaction and radiology. "We will cooperate with neighbouring countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, and Australia in the conference because we need a lot of data on radiation and its effects," he noted. He added that the speakers in the conference include UNSCEAR Secretary Malcolm Crick, UNSCEAR Chairman Carl-Magnuss Larsson, Argentine delegation leader at UNSCEAR Abel Gonzales, Ohtsura Niwa of Fukushima Medical University, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) expert Peter Zagyvai, Indonesian Radiation Oncology Society Chairman Soehartati Ghondowiardjo, and BATAN deputy chief Anhar R Antariksawan.