The following was received via email from the
Massachusetts Radiation Control Program:
On 01/18/22 the Massachusetts Radiation Control Program (the `Agency') received a telephone report of a missing shipment of radioactive material. The package contained 28 mCi of S-35 (half-life of 87.3 days) in liquid form, in 4 vials at 0.561 mL per vial, in one White-I package, and was sent by PerkinElmer, Inc. (the `licensee') to Associated Regional and University Pathologists, Inc. (the `customer') via [common courier]. The package was sent from the licensee on 12/15/21 and tracking information showed it arrived at the courier's facility on 12/16/21 but never left. The customer notified the licensee on 12/21/21 that they never received the package. The licensee was periodically contacting the courier for status updates in an attempt to recover the package. The licensee informed the courier of the importance of maintaining custody of radioactive material shipments until they are delivered.
On 02/02/22 the licensee notified the Agency that their internal investigation to locate the package was closed and that the licensee considers the package lost for good. The licensee estimates that no person received greater than 1 mrem TEDE [total effective dose equivalent] as a result of the missing package.
The Agency considers this event to be closed.
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