A half ton
shipment of radioactive sanitary products has been discovered by customs
officials at a Lebanon airport.
Around 30
crates of feminine hygiene products were seized Friday at Rafik Hariri
International Airport in Beirut after electronic scanners detected
radioactivity in the shipment.
Tests revealed the
shipment, which weighed 554 kilograms, had more than 35 times the safe levels
of radioactivity.
The sanitary pads
had originated in China, and arrived at the airport Friday from Dubai, officials
said.
The Lebanon Minister for Finance, the
department which is responsible for customs, told Al-Joumhouriya
newspaper: 'As a result of the examination of a number of boxes that
contained sanitary pads, it appeared that the rate of radioactivity inside them
was 35 times more than is permitted.'
The sanitary towels were manufactured by Anion which purports
the health benefits of anions- groups of negatively charged ionized atoms.
On the company website, Anions claim their pads and
pantyliners contain an anion layer which 'emits intensive anion stream
beneficial to human health in amount up to 5800 for cm3.'
They go onto claims that anions are 'air vitamins' and
'significantly benefit to human health and daily routine' boosting the
respiratory, cardiovascular, nervous and immune systems.
A specialized judiciary launched an investigation
into the case.
The discovery was the latest in a series of radioactive
finds at Beirut's airport and sea port amid an ongoing crackdown on radioactive
imports.
Last month, the Khalil ordered the Customs Department at
the same airport to send back a shipment of 98 mobile phone covers from China
that were revealed to be radioactive.
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