Bicycle Baskets Imported from China Found with Cobalt-60, Bridgestone to Recall

It was first reported to Bridgestone by a buyer of the bicycle, alerting the company that the basket attached to the bicycle was emitting radiation. Bridgestone had the baskets tested, and found the source of radiation to be cobalt-60. The baskets were imported from China, according to Bridgestone.

From the press release by the Ministry of Education and Science (MEXT) on April 18, 2012:

• Report from Bridgestone Cycle Company to MEXT at about 4:10PM on April 17 that radiation was detected from the baskets installed on the bicycles that the company sells.

• The bicycles were assembled at the Ageo Factory [in Saitama Prefecture].

• 7.5 to 10.6 microsieverts/hour radiation was detected on the surface of the baskets at 1 centimeter.

• The baskets were imported from overseas.

• 86 bicycles out of 1,145 in the inventory were also found with radiation. The bicycles were assembled between November 2011 and January 2012. 20,000 bicycles with the same baskets have already been sold. Of these 20,000, 3,200 were assembled during the same period.

• The source of radiation was cobalt-60.

• A customer who bought the bicycle alerted the company of radiation detection.

According to Bridgestone's website,

• Stainless-steel baskets were made in China.

• 9405 baskets may have the same cobalt-60.

• Bicycles with the baskets were assembled between August 2011 and February 2012.

If you are in Japan and bought bicycles made by Bridgestone, go to the website to check the model numbers and lot numbers.

Cobalt-60 in the bicycle baskets did not come from Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant, the company says.

So the export dealers of Japanese used cars scrub the cars to make sure the radiation coming out of the cars is less than 0.3 microsievert/hour. And radioactive components like these baskets are freely imported without any radiation check at the port or by the importing company?

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