The following information was obtained from the State of
Texas via email:
[On January 25, 2009], a Thermo NITON Analyzer X-Ray Fluorescence Device Model XL3p 800 was stolen from Allied Alloys [located in] Houston, TX. The device contains a 30 mCi Am-241 source with either a QSA Global AMCL or IPL XFB-4 model source. The external radiation levels on the shipping case and instrument of <0.01 mRem/hr and the useful beam measurements are 0.3, 3, and 45 mrem/hr at 100, 30, and 5 centimeters respectively according to the SSDR sheet, MA-1159-D-102-B dated August 30, 2007. The company is considering a reward as the device is valued at $30K and a police report has been filed with [Houston Police Department]. There is some suspicion of the device being stolen by a former employee as there were other articles of value in the direct vicinity of the analyzer and this was the newest model out of six in the possession of the company.
The pertinent identification numbers of the Niton hand held analyzer are as follows:
Model No. XL3p 800
Serial No. 31000
Americium 241 source SN: 07-232
Detector SN: 55276
Texas Incident No.: I-8602
- * * UPDATE FROM JISHA TO SNYDER ON 1/27/09 AT 0732 * * *
The State of Texas provided the following information via e-mail:
[The licensee is] not considering an award at this time. More cameras are being installed and all Nitons will be locked up in the main building [of the licensee's facility] where anyone going near the Niton storage area will pass through at least 4 cameras or more. The was the first noticeable break-in [that the licensee has] had in 5 years at this location.
Notified R4DO (Cain) and FSME EO (Burgess).
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.