The State provided the following information via facsimile:
This is the initial notification for an incident that was reported to this Department [State of Colorado] on this date. A research licensee reported the loss of a custom source containing approximately 120 microcuries of Am-241. The source, a stainless steel tube approximately 6 inches long and 1 inch in diameter, was manufactured by NRD with model number A001, and was used as an air stream ionization device contained in aerosol and gas-phase measurement instruments. The Am-241 is plated on a foil within the tube. The licensee reported the last known use was in March 2006. However, the licensee moved to a new location in December 2006, and the RSO stated that it is possible the source was lost at that time. The licensee reported that all efforts to locate the source have failed including a search of their former use location. No other details are available at this time.
COLORADO Incident #: I07-12
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