The
RSO for the Wayne State University's School of Pharmacy reported a missing vial containing 5 millicuries of Chromium-51 in a saline solution. The vial was received at the licensee's laboratory on February 6 along with two cartons of
tritium. The
tritium was removed from its shipping cartons and placed in a lab storage refrigerator. The
Chromium was left on a desk in the carton to be leak tested prior to being placed in the refrigerator.
Apparently, the lab student did not perform the leak test on the Chromium before leaving the lab. The carton with the Chromium vial was left on the desk near the trash can with the empty tritium containers. The facility custodian came in later that day and put the empty tritium containers in the trash as well as the Chromium container (not realizing it still had the radioactive material inside).
On February 10 around 1900 EST it was discovered that the Chromium vial was missing. The licensee performed a search of the facility including radiological surveys and has concluded that the vial was likely thrown out in the trash. The trash dumpster had already been emptied by the waste management firm used by the university. The waste management firm has been notified.
It should be noted that the amount of Chromium-51 in the vial is only 5 times the 10 CFR Part 20, Appendix C limit.
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