The following was received from the
Maryland Department of Environment Radiological Health Program via email:
On August 11, 2021, at approximately 1630 EDT, the Radiological Safety Officer (RSO) who is the authorized user put down the locked [Lead-Paint Analyzer] (LPA) (XRF case, with the XRF device inside) on the sidewalk next to his vehicle that was parked on the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and Laurens Street in Baltimore City, Maryland after testing the exterior of a property nearby on Pennsylvania Avenue. The RSO was moving a few items around the trunk of his car to better place a ladder and went to grab the XRF case, it was gone. The RSO made the effort to check for the LPA around the block and asked individuals in the area, but the attempt was unsuccessful.
On August 12, 2021, at about 1415 EDT the Maryland Department of the Environment Radiological Health Program (MDE/RHP) was contacted via telephone by the RSO of 100 percent Lead Inspections that a portable Lead-Paint Analyzer (LPA) was missing from 100 percent Lead Inspections, LLC (license number MD-05-244-01). The Lead-Paint Analyzer was identified as Viken Detection (formerly known as Heuresis), model pb200i XRF, device serial number 2861 with nominal activities of 6 milliCi of Co-57 source (on 11/15/2020), and source model A3901-02 and source serial number T3-296.
The event has been later reported to the Baltimore City Police Department, in Baltimore; the Incident Number 1-210803237.
MDE/RHP will conduct a reactive investigation.
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. For additional information go to
http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/Pub1227_web.pdf