The Commonwealth of
Virginia submitted the following information via facsimile:
Virginia Tech reported a missing radioactive source to VRMP [Virginia Radioactive Materials Program] by telephone. The lost material is an electron capture detector (ECD) containing a foil source of 15 mCi of Ni-63 (serial number F2162), dated 4/1/91, installed in a Hewlett Packard model 5890 Gas Chromatograph (GC). The source was missed during the December 2011 leak testing period but actually had not been seen since its December 2010 leak test. For the June 2011 leak test some GCs with ECDs were packed up in preparation for a move to a different facility and it was assumed that all four ECD containing GCs were crated but only three were apparently included. All Chemistry laboratories at Virginia Tech have been checked, but it has not been found. It appears that a contractor may have removed the source containing equipment along with other materials as scrap during the demolition of Davidson Hall where the source had last been seen. Attempts are being made to determine where the 'scrap' material has been taken and efforts will continue to investigate further.
Media attention: none.
VA Event Report ID No.: VA-12-03
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