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| Start date | Reporting criterion | Title | Event description | System | LER | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENS 46393 | 4 November 2010 07:00:00 | Agreement State | Agreement State Report - Leaking Sealed Source | The following information was reported via e-mail by the State of California: On November 03, 2010, the RSO at UC Berkeley informed the (California) Radiologic Health Branch (RHB) that on 11/01/10 an Electron Capture Device (ECD), S/N F7737 containing 15 mCi of Ni-63, was determined to have leakage in excess of 0.005 microcurie criteria. The leaking source was installed in a Hewlett-Packard gas chromatography unit Mode 5890. Immediately after the leakage was found, the unit was taken out of service. Follow-up surveys performed did not show any area contamination. The maximum contamination found on the internal portion of the ECD outlet port was 0.007 microcuries. The extent of contamination was limited to the ECD and exhaust tubing. No personal contamination was expected since the leakage was limited to the internal parts of the gas chromatography unit and vent tubing. The unit was used for routine analysis of organic materials. The leakage may have been due to the routine use over many years (@ 16 years). The University will pursue disposal of this ECD. California RHB 5010 - 110310. | ||
| ENS 44184 | 30 April 2008 18:40:00 | Agreement State | Agreement State Report - Two Abandoned Electron Capture Detectors | The State provided the following information via facsimile: On April 19, 2008, Urban Ore picked up a load of material from 2151 Berkeley Way, which included a gas chromatograph with an ECD (Electron Capture Detector) containing 300 mCi of Tritium. Prior to this, 2151 Berkeley Way had been sold to the University of California at Berkeley (UCB). On April 26, 2008, Urban Ore returned the gas chromatograph to the loading dock of 2151 Berkeley Way. On April 28, 2008, the Richmond Regional Office of RHB (Radiological Health Branch) was notified. On April 28, 2008, at 1330 the UCB RSO, and other representatives from UCB met at 2151 Berkeley Way and identified a Largus Applied Technologies gas chromatograph, with an Electron Capture Detector (ECD), Model 200 within the loading dock containing approximately 150 mCi of Tritium. Smears were taken of this ECD and no contamination was found. The group inspected the parking garage inside the building and found another ECD unit, Valco containing approximately 500 mCi of Tritium and a 0.9 uCi Radium-226 button source. Smears of this ECD identified approximately 8000 dpm of contamination at the open end of small bore exhaust tubing. The ECD reportedly came from room 100C. The Largus unit was moved from the loading to the inside of the building and labeled 'do not remove.' At 1600 on April 28, 2008, the RSO asked that all recycling work be stopped in 2151 Berkeley Way. The RHB was informed of the events of April 28, 2008, at about 1140 on April 29, 2008, which was followed by an email to RHB detailing the above at 1830 on April 29, 2008. On April 30, 2008, RHB has taken custody of the 2 ECDs, and met with the RSOs of UCB and DOL (Department of Labor) and other representatives of CDPH (California Department of Public Health). A strategy for resolving this incident was worked out, and RHB offered full assistance to DOL. | ||
| ENS 43970 | 9 August 2007 08:00:00 | Agreement State | Agreement State - Leaking General Licensed Source from a Gas Chromatograph | The State provided the following information via email: On August 9, 2007, a dry smear of an ECD at UC Berkeley indicated a gross count rate of 5171 cpm. It was determined that this count rate indicated an activity of 0.03 uCi of Nickel-63. The ECD was returned to Varian on August 21, 2007, who determined that the leakage was less than the reportable limit of 0.005 uCi. Varian returned the ECD with the original Nickel-63 foil to UC Berkeley on August 28, 2007. On October 16, 2007, the same 15 mCi Nickel-63 foil in the same Electron Capture Detector (ECD) in the Varian gas chromatograph was again found to be leaking. The activity of the leakage was determined to be 0.06 uCi. On October 17, 2007, the use of the gas chromatograph was immediately suspended, and a follow-up survey found that the contamination was limited to the top of the ECD, the exhaust funnel and a section of the exhaust tubing. On October 19, 2007, Varian representatives removed the ECD and transported it to their facility for analysis and repair. No adverse health effects resulted from this incident. UC Berkeley notified the RHB (Radiologic Health Branch) of this matter on November 9, 2007. | ||
| ENS 44416 | 1 January 1999 07:00:00 | Agreement State | Agreement State - Small Quantity of Special Nuclear Material Unaccounted for | On August 12, 2008 UC Berkeley requested a meeting with RHB to provide information regarding their findings that they had not maintained adequate control of their SNM. Specifically they were unable to locate 17 grams of elemental uranium enriched to 43% in the isotope of U 235. The reason for the problem was considered to be inadequate material accounting practices for the period since 1978, due to inadequate methodology, apparently records were not maintained for the day-to-day consumption of uranium for research and subsequent discard of uranium that occurred routinely. There were no records to indicate use. Therefore this material is considered as 'material unaccounted for' (MUF) and an ongoing investigation is in progress to determine the disposition of the material between 1994 and 1997. Seventeen grams would equal about 15 pellets the size of a small pencil eraser. The licensee informed NRC HOO of this issue, as information on 8/13/08. The licensee also informed RHB on 8/13/08. The licensee clarified that this was a notification pursuant to 10 CFR 20.2201 at 1700 on 8/14/08 regarding their inability to locate this material. An investigation is ongoing to reconcile the records regarding lost or missing material at UC Berkeley. California Report Number: 081308 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. This source is not amongst those sources or devices identified by the IAEA Code of Conduct for the Safety & Security of Radioactive Sources to be of concern from a radiological standpoint. Therefore is it being categorized as a less than Category 3 source |