PNO-III-86-107, on 860925,approx 15 Employees Exposed to Low Levels of I-125 Gas.Probable Cause Due to Leaking Source or from Contamination of Packaging Matls.Shipment Repackaged & Sent to Argonne Natl Lab for Analysis
| ML20210T807 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 03019897 |
| Issue date: | 09/26/1986 |
| From: | Hind J, Sreniawski D NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION III) |
| To: | |
| References | |
| PNO-III-86-107, NUDOCS 8610090202 | |
| Download: ML20210T807 (2) | |
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M6 PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION OF EVENT OR UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE--PNO-III-86-107 Date Septemb:r 26, 1986
! This: preliminary notification constitutes EARLY notice of events of POSSIBLE safety _
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- or public interest significance. The information is as initially received without verification or evaluation, and is basically all that is known by the Region III staff on this date.
' Facility: Lixi, Inc.
Licensee Emergency. Classification:
1438 Brook Dr.
Notification of an Unusual Event Downers Grove, IL Alert Site Area Emergency l,
License No: 12-18215-02MM General Emergency XX Not Applicable-i
Subject:
UPTAKE OF RADI0 ACTIVE I0 DINE ij On September 25, 1986, the licensee reported that approximately 15 employees were exposed to
- low levels of gaseous radioactive iodine-125 which was apparently released when a shipment of iodine-125 sources was opened. Lixi, Inc., manufactures portable imaging devices which
-use sealed radiation sources and function much like x-ray fluoroscopes.
I
! Tha shipment of_8 iodine-125 sources was in a lead vial, packaged in a metal can with a surrounding corrugated cardboard box. The leaking radioactivity was discovered during a 4
l radiation survey as the shipment was opened.
(The sources are manufactured by Atomic Energy of Canada, Ltd.
Each source is a sealed metal cylinder, approximately 3 mm. by 5 mm.,
i containing'a charcoal bead saturated with 220 to 450 millicuries of iodine 125.)
i; The source of the iodine gas is uncertain, although it may be from a leaking source or from t contamination of the packaging materials. Surveys of the packaging--inside the cardboard' J box--showed some surface contamination. There is no evidence that leakage from the package occurred during shipment.
!Othersealedsourcesarestoredinthelicensee'slaboratoryarea.
It is possible, but lunlikely,thatthegaseousradioiodinehasbeenreleasedfromoneofthesestoredsources.
- Tha two individuals who opened the package were taken to a local hospital for measurement of
- thyroid uptake. One individual subsequently had a thyroid count performed at Argonne j -
results from the licensee's tests indicates an uptake of approximately 100 National Laboratory and the second individual is being retested at the hospital. The
- preliminary (which would result in a thyroid exposure of 300 to 400 millirem during the i nanocuries-
- period the radioiodine remains in the thyroid). The followup results are not yet available.
] (For comparison, the normal range of radiation dose from a diagnostic medical procedure for i the thyroid is 4 to 87 rads.)
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! DISTRIBUTION:
l H.' St.
ED0 NRR E/W Willste Mail: ADM:DMB 0
g i Chairman Zech PA IE NMSS D0T:Trans only Com. Roberts ELD OIA RES
+-
i Comm. Asselstine AE0D l Com. Bernthal l Com. Carr SP / 8 Regional Offices ACRS t
l SECY INP0 NSAC I CA RIII Resident Office
- PDR Licensee
(Corp. Office - Reactor Lic. Only) l i
8610090202 860926 Region III l
E-I!$86-107PDR
PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION OF EVENT OR UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE--PNO-III-86-107 Date Septembgr 26, 1986
. Oth:r licensee employees were checked by the licensee and showed some evidence of lesser uptake. One NRC inspector also had a measurable uptake of iodine-125.
Selected licensee employees have been administered an iodine blocking agent to minimize the thyroid uptake.
R gion III (Chicago) dispatched an inspection team to the facility on September 25, 1986, and the team remains on site. A representative of the Illinois Department of Nuclear Safety was also at the site.
Th2 preliminary analysis of NRC air samples taken in the laboratory room on September 25 showed that the iodine-125 level was approximately 100 times the maximum permissible concentration (MPC) for restricted areas; on September 26, the measurement was approximately 10 times MPC. At these levels, personnel could occupy the room for several days without exceeding NRC limits which are averaged over a calendar quarter. The room has been sealed.
Air samples in the occupied areas of the facility were near background levels on September 26.
Atomic Energy of Canada, Ltd., has been informed of the problem.
It reported no evidence of any contamination or uptake of iodine by the individuals associated with the shipment.
Licensee and NRC personnel have repackaged the shipment and arrangements are being made for it to be taken to Argonne National Laboratory for analysis and storage. Ventilation and filtration equipment is also to be supplied. The Department of Energy is assisting in making these arrangements.
The State of Illinois has been kept informed of the status of this incident.
Region III was notified of the incident by the licensee about 3 p.m. September 25, 1986.
This information is current as of 11 a.m., September 26, 1986.
h wuo CONTACT:
D. Sreniawskif3h
- d. Hind
'FTS 388-5510 FT);388-5611 i
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