The State provided the following information via facsimile:
On 8/7/06, licensee reports being unable to locate two NRD Model P-2021 In-Line Ionizers (S/N A2EJ536 and S/N A2EJ538) each containing up to 10 millicuries of Polonium-210 (138-day half-life). These stainless steel cylindrical items measure 0.5 inches in diameter and just under 3 inches in length. The items were purchased from NRD LLC of Grand Island, NY, in April 2005 (see Sealed Source Registry No. NY-502-D-107-G). The last known location of the items was in a stock storage area at the licensee's former facility in Woburn, MA. The licensee relocated operations from Woburn to Wilmington, MA, in September 2005.
The licensee assumes the items were lost, and possibly disposed, during the Woburn facility cleanup and relocation effort. The licensee does not believe the items were stolen.
In order to prevent recurrence, the licensee implemented a specific device use log and assigned an employee to be responsible for device inventory.
The licensee's search and investigation is ongoing.
THIS MATERIAL EVENT CONTAINS A "LESS THAN CAT 3" LEVEL OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL
Sources that are "Less than IAEA Category 3 sources," are either sources that are very unlikely to cause permanent injury to individuals or contain a very small amount of radioactive material that would not cause any permanent injury. Some of these sources, such as moisture density gauges or thickness gauges that are Category 4, the amount of unshielded radioactive material, if not safely managed or securely protected, could possibly - although it is unlikely - temporarily injure someone who handled it or were otherwise in contact with it, or who were close to it for a period of many weeks.
This source is not amongst those sources or devices identified by the
IAEA Code of Conduct for the Safety & Security of Radioactive Sources to be of concern from a radiological standpoint. Therefore is it being categorized as a less than Category 3 source