Date: 21 October 2004

Location: Shandong Jining, P.R. China

Type of event: irradiator accident

Description:

Two workers at a vegetable irradiator facility erroneously entered the irradiation room and were exposed to the cobalt-60 source. Three minutes after exposure, one worker felt burning in his face, stomachache, with nausea and vomiting. Ten minutes after exposure the second worker suffered from headache, stomachache, and vomiting. Both were hospitalized two hours after exposure and were transferred to a Beijing hospital 55 hours after exposure where they received stem cell transplants. The first worker died 33 days after exposure from his dose estimated at 2000 rad; the second worker died 75 days after exposure from an esimated 880 rad dose.

Consequences: 2 fatalities.

References:

• Chen, Y., X. K. Yan, J. Du, Z. D. Wang, X. Q. Zhang, F. G. Zeng, and P. K. Zhou, 2011, "Biological dose estimation for accidental supra-high dose gamma-ray exposure," Radiation Measurements, 46:837-841.
• Yao, B., B. R. Jiang, H. S. Ai, Y. F. Li, G. X. Liu, Q. H. Man, and L. J. Qiu, 2010, "Biological dose estimation for two severely exposed patients in a radiation accident in Shandong Jining, China, in 2004," International Journal of Radiation Biology, 86(9):800-808.

© 2012 by Wm. Robert Johnston.
Last modified 22 July 2012.
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