ML20215M783

Kay-Ray,Inc Repts of Suspected Leaking Sealed Sources Mfg by General Radioisotope Products

ML20215M783
Person / Time
Issue date:	04/05/1983
From:	NRC OFFICE FOR ANALYSIS & EVALUATION OF OPERATIONAL DATA (AEOD)
To:
Shared Package
ML20215M776	List: ML20215M775 ML20215M783
References
TASK-AE, TASK-NT302 AEOD-NT302, NUDOCS 8611030290
Download: ML20215M783 (3)

Text

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

U k'5 AE0D TECHNICAL REVIEW REPORT

• N UNIT: N/A TR REPORT N0. AE0D/NT302 e

DOCKET NO.: N/A DATE: April 5, 1983 LICENSEE: Kay-Ray, Inc.

EVALUATOR / CONTACT: SPettijohn

SUBJECT:

KAY-RAY, INC., REPORTS OF SUSPECTED LEAKING SEALED SOURCES MANUFACTURED BY GENEFAL RADI0IS0 TOPE PRODUCTS EVENTDATE(s): N/A

SUMMARY

A review of five reports of leaking sources submitted to NRC by Kay-Ray, Inc.,

indicates that General Radioisotope Products (GRP) Model 850233 Cesium 137 sources manufactured in June 1975 maychave a. failure. rate for leakage higher than nonaal. About 2000 of these sources were used by Kay-Ray, Inc., in gauges sold since 1975. Kay-Ray. Inc., found that about 10% of sources in gauges returned for repair were leaking.

Eighty percent of these sources were the GRP model 850233 type. We are continuing our investigation to get additional information in order to-determine the extent to which there is a problem with the GRP sources.

t s

DISCUSSION SincexMarch 1981 the Nonreactor Assessment Staff has received five (5) reports from Kay-Ray, Inc., (NRC License Number 12-11184-01) involving leaking Cesium 137 sealed sources. The sources were manufactured by General Radioisotope Products (GRP), a licensee of the State of California, and were used as original equipment manufacturer (0EM) sources for Kay-Ray, Inc., gauging devices.

A review of these reports show:

a) The model number is the same for all of the GRP sources: Model 850233.

b) Five of the six sources listed in the reports were manufactured in June 1975 and one was manufactured in June 1972.

c) In all cases the sources were returned to Kay-Ray, Inc., by Kay-Ray's customer for repair or disposal rather than for suspected or verified source leakage.

In addition to the above reports the document control system (DCS) computer file contains a reference to a Kay-Ray, Inc., report to NRC dated November 11, 1980 in which five GRP Model 850233 sources were reported leaking.

Hard copies of these reports have not been obtained at this time.

NRC regulations require that sealed sources be checked for leakage at specified intervals. The GRP sources installed in the Kay-Ray gauging devices require leak testing at three-year intervals. Normally the leak test can be performed by the licensee and consists of using a cotton swab to wipe accessible B611030290 030405 PDR ORG NEXNAS PDR

• This document supports ongoing AE0D and NRC activities and does not represent the position or requirements of the responsible NRC program office.

g

- areas of the gauging device where contamination would likely occur if the source were leaking. The actual sealed source capsule is not wiped.

In a memorandum dated August 24, 1982, (copy enclosed) Kathleen Black (AE00) to John Hickey (NMSS) and Joel Lubenau (SP),the Office of Nuclear Materials Safety and Safeguards and the Office of State Programs were informed of AE00's receipt of the leaking source reports and of AE0D's intention to investigate the matter.

The Office of State Programs notified the State of California by letter dated August 27, 1982 of the leaking source reports.

In their response to the Office of State Programs the California Department of Health Services stated that " General Radioisotope Products is now a Division of Bio-Dynamics which is in turn a division of Boehringer Mannheim with headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana. California maintains a license to this firm until such time as decommissioning of their leased facility in San Ramon is completed." General Radioisotope Products no longer manufacturers sealed sources.

NMSS (FCML) contacted Kay-Ray by letter dated September 8, 1982.

NAS contacted Kay-Ray, Inc., by phone on January 28, 1983. Kay-Ray provided the following information:

1.

Fifteen leaking GRP sources have been identified by Kay-Ray. Twelve of these were Model 850233 and three were Model 6082. Kay-Ray receives about 100-150 source housings for repair annually.

2.

Kay-Ray has distributed about 2,000 GRP sources of this type.

3.

Kay-Ray has not received leak test within the required three years for all of these sources (only 10% of Kay-Ray customers use Kay-Ray services for leak test).

4.

Kay-Ray was only able to identify leaking sources by wiping the actual source capsule; contamination was never found on the outer surfaces of the source housing.

Kay-Ray detected the source contamination only when the source housing was disassembled. The users (Kay-Ray, Inc., customers) of the gauging devices are generally not authorized to disassemble the gauges.

In their letter, Kay-Ray, Inc., acknowledges that there may be a general problem of source leakage with the approximately 2,000 GRP Model 850233 sources sold by the company. The company, however, did not make any commitment to take any action at this time.

NMSS has sent another letter to Kay-Ray, Inc., requesting additional information.

Bio-Dynamics, the parent company of General Radioisotope Products, was contacted by phone by NMSS (FCML), John Hickey. A letter confirming the phone conversation indicates that all records associated with GRP operations were transferred to the Bio-Dynamics office in Indianapolis when GRP when out of business. NRC needs information from these records to determine the customer distribution for the Model 850233 sources.

(

l

(

3-A check of the NRC registry of sealed sources and devices indicated that General Radioisotope Products sealed sources were authorized for use by Texas Nuclear Corporation, a gauge manufacturer licensed by the State of Texas.

AE0D (NAS) contacted Ms. Doris Beyan, Texas Nuclear, by phone; she indicated that General Radioisotope Products sources have not been used in ten to twelve years and that there had not been any reports of leaking sources involving the General Radioisotope Products Model 850233 source.

FINDINGS At least twelve General Radioisotope Product Model 850233 sealed sources have been found to be leaking by Kay-Ray, Inc.

These sources were part of a group of 100-150 sources that were returned to Kay-Ray in unserviceable source housings during a period of a year.

The cause of the source leakage or the related health and safety implications have not been determined.

Approximately 2,000 GRP Model 850233 sources have been sold by Kay-Ray, Inc.

CONCLUSIONS We are continuing our investigation in conjunction with NMSS (FCML). Additional information is required to determine the extent to which there is a problem with the GRP Model 850233 source, the cause of the problem, and the health and safety implications. We understand that Kay-Ray, Inc., has been notified to discontinue disposing of GRP sources (and the associated source housing) that are found to be leaking until a study has been conducted to determine the cause of the source leakage or until they are notified by NRC.

1

?

D i

,7 r