The following is a summary of information provided by the
Florida Department of Health (the Department) via phone and email:
On September 15, 2025, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) identified a Troxler model 3430 moisture density gauge (S/N 20331, 8 mCi Cs-137, 40 mCi Am-241/Be) in a vehicle leaving the Port of Jacksonville. CBP held the vehicle and determined that the company, RQ Construction Co., was not licensed to possess a gauge with this level of radioactivity. CBP notified the Department of the incident and contacted Troxler and arranged for transport of the gauge to Troxler's facility in North Carolina. The Department has learned that the model 3430 gauge was sent for calibration and leak testing at Troxler by a Florida-licensed company in Tampa, FL.
The Department has learned that RQ Construction Co. recently purchased a Troxler 4950 soil density gauge. This model of gauge does not require a radioactive materials license for possession and use. Troxler is investigating how the model 3430 gauge was returned to an unlicensed company in Jacksonville, FL.
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