The following information was provided by the
Illinois Emergency Management Agency (the Agency) via email:
As a result of an ongoing Agency investigation into unresponsive general licensees, the Agency became aware today [August 19, 2025], that a generally licensed X-ray fluorescence device, containing 30 millicuries of Am-241, was improperly disposed of. Reportedly, on or about June 3, 2025, Midland Manufacturing Company mailed a Niton XLp-818Q (serial number 8270) to a Veolia electronics recycling facility in Port Washington, WI. Both [the Agency] and Wisconsin program staff are attempting to contact the facility to determine if the device is still available for recovery. The quantity of radioactive material involved, while unlikely to be dangerous to the public, is immediately reportable to the Agency and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The investigation remains ongoing.
Illinois item number: IL250033
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