Nuclear elements detected in West Philippine SeaUP MSI said the concentrations found in the WPS were higher than in any other part of the country, despite the Philippines having no active nuclear power plant or nuclear weapons program. MANILA, Philippines — The University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute (UP MSI) has detected elevated levels of iodine-129 – an isotope commonly used as an indicator of nuclear activity – in seawater samples from the West Philippine Sea (WPS). UP MSI said the concentrations found in the WPS were higher than in any other part of the country, despite the Philippines having no active nuclear power plant or nuclear weapons program. Researchers found iodine-129 levels in the WPS to be about 1.5 to 1.7 times higher than those recorded in other sampling sites. The study was conducted by experts from the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Nuclear Research Institute, UP MSI’s Geological Oceanography Laboratory and the University of Tokyo.

Source: Philippine Star January 17, 2026 16:14 UTC