The following report was received from the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts via facsimile:
During a decommissioning survey of the Watch City Museum, the museum's consultant 'Babcock Services, Inc.' (BSI), discovered an antique radium watch with potential damage. The subject watch, marked '8-Day Watch' was missing the glass face. BSI obtained the following radiological survey results:
- Maximum radiation reading on contact [was] 0.38 mR/hr and
- Alpha plus beta removable contamination smear of 52,767 dpm/100 cm2.
- The estimated Ra-226 activity is less than 1 microCuries
The 8-Day Watch was removed from the museum, securely wrapped, and placed in a secure container.
The owner of the 8-Day Watch, 'Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation', was notified about the condition of the 8-Day Watch. The timepiece owner and the Watch City Museum agreed that the damaged timepiece should be properly disposed as radioactive waste. The 'Watch City Museum' arranged for the disposal of the timepiece with their decommissioning consultant, BSI. The Agency agreed with the disposition of the damaged timepiece.
The Agency conducted a confirmatory radiological survey of the timepiece display case and the adjacent museum floor. The survey included the display case glass cover (outside and inside surfaces), the display case base, the adjacent floor within 2 feet of the display case, the secured container of the 8-Day Watch, [and] the viewing surface where the timepiece was displayed. [The] inspector observed no readings above background of 10 cpm using an alpha probe. Maximum radiation level at the surface of the time piece container was 0.2 mR/hr using a gamma probe.
The Agency considers this event to be closed.