ENS Event | |
|---|---|
05:00 Dec 22, 2025 | |
| Title | Loose Contamination Exceeded Annual Limit on Intake |
| Event Description | The following information was provided by the Pennsylvania Bureau of Radiation Protection (the Department) via phone and email:
On December 22, 2025, the licensee informed the Department that a pathology assistant (PA) accidentally bisected an I-125 seed, used for radioactive seed localization in breast tissue, during pathology processing in the laboratory. The seed was a Best Medical International model 2300 series (S/N 61498-8) containing 169 microcuries of I-125. The PA removed the two sections from the tissue with forceps, placed them in a vial within a shielded lead pig, and contacted the nuclear medicine (NM) department. The NM employee surveyed the area, equipment used, and the PA. The specimen container, absorbent liner where the tissue was sectioned, and 6 of the 11 specimen slides showed contamination. These items were packed into another container and taken back to NM. Area surveys of the room and personnel showed no evidence of contamination. The radiation safety officer (RSO) and associate RSO were notified of the event. The facility attempted to measure the remaining activity of the 2 pieces of seed. The dose calibrator detected an activity greater than the decayed activity. The decayed activity of the seed was [calculated to be] 169 microcuries. The dose calibrator detected 188 microcuries (dose calibrator background of I-125 detected 2 microcuries). The RSO stated the greater read may be due to the very low activity and the I-125 only having an energy of 35 KeV. Wipes were performed on the broken seed sections with no removable activity noted. The wipes detected only 12 cpm after correcting for background (212 cpm). These results lead the RSO to believe that pathology encapsulated the released I-125. This loose contamination is greater than one annual limit on intake of I-125 (40 microcuries). The Department performed a reactive inspection on January 9, 2026. New information received on January 26, 2026, shows that this event is reportable per 10 CFR 20.2202(b). Pennsylvania event report ID number: PA250020 |
| Where | |
|---|---|
| Upmc Hamot Erie, Pennsylvania (NRC Region 1) | |
| License number: | PA-0087 |
| Organization: | Pa Bureau Of Radiation Protection |
| Reporting | |
| Agreement State | |
| Time - Person (Reporting Time:+847.78 h35.324 days <br />5.046 weeks <br />1.161 months <br />) | |
| Opened: | John Chippo 12:47 Jan 26, 2026 |
| NRC Officer: | Kerby Scales |
| Last Updated: | Jan 26, 2026 |
| 58127 - NRC Website | |
Upmc Hamot with Agreement State | |
WEEKMONTHYEARENS 581272025-12-22T05:00:00022 December 2025 05:00:00
[Table view]Agreement State Loose Contamination Exceeded Annual Limit on Intake 2025-12-22T05:00:00 | |