Date: 16 August 2000

Location: Samara oblast, Russia

Type of event: lost radiography source

Description:

Three radiographers were using a 240-curie iridium-192 source to check welds in a gas pipeline. They did not notice the source became detached from the cable/shield assembly (their radiation monitor did not have batteries). They packed the equipment (including the unshielded source) into their vehicle in which they slept overnight; the next morning all had nausea and vomiting. They returned to their base for eight days, then discovered the loose source when preparing to return to the field. One radiographer picked up the source to return it to the shielded container. This individual received hand burns due to localized doses of 3000-7000 rads, and all three suffered radiation sickness from whole body doses of 250-300 rads (for the man who slept closest to the source) to 100-200 rads (for the other two).

Consequences: 3 injuries.

References:

• Ilyin, L. A., V. Yu. Soloviev, A. E. Baranov, A. K. Guskova, N. M. Nadezhina, and I. A. Gusev, May 2004, "Early medical consequences of radiation incidents in the former URRS territory," 11th International Congress of IRPA, on line, IRPA [http://irpa11.irpa.net/pdfs/7c20.pdf].
• Lloyd, David, Dec. 2002, "A gamma radiography accident in Russia--a lesson learned the hard way," eBulletin, 2, on line at Health Protection Agency [http://www.hpa.org.uk/radiation/publications/bulletin/e-no2/article3.htm].
• Sevan'kaev, A. V., D. C. Lloyd, A. A. Edwards, J. E. Moquet, V. Yu. Nugis, G. M. Mikhailova, O. I. Potetnya, I. K. Khvostunov, A. K. Guskova, A. E. Baranov, and N. M. Nadejina, 2002, "Cytogenic investigations of serious overexposures to an industrial gamma radiography source," Radiation Protection Dosimetry, 102:201-206, abstract on line at Radiation Protection Dosimetry [http://rpd.oupjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/102/3/201].

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Last modified 17 September 2007.
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