[ RadSafe ] Stolen cobalt-60 found in Mexico; curious thieves likely doomed

roseb at gdls.com roseb at gdls.com
Thu Dec 5 13:02:03 CST 2013


PS gamma ray constant stated is for 1 Ci Co-60

Henry


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  |Boyd H Rose                                                                                                                               |
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  |12/05/2013 01:56 PM EST                                                                                                                   |
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  |Re: [ RadSafe ] Stolen cobalt-60 found in Mexico; curious thieves likely doomed                                                           |
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Jim:

Your math is a bit off, the specific gamma-ray constant for Co-60 is 1.37
R/hr @ 1 m.  The exposure rate from a 3,000 Ci Co-60 source would be much
higher than 700 rad/h at 1 ft (~0.33 m).

Henry

Boyd H. Rose, CM, CIH, CHMM, EI
Sr. Safety and Environmental Engineering Specialist
Corporate Radiation Safety Officer
General Dynamics Land Systems
38500 Mound Road
Mail Zone 436-10-75
Sterling Heights , MI 48310-3269
Tel: 586 825 4503
Fax: 586 825 4015
E-mail: roseb at gdls.com





                                                                           
    Jim Hardeman                                                           
    <jim.hardeman at gmail.com>                                               
    Sent by:                   To                                          
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    12/05/2013 01:47 PM                List" <radsafe at agni.phys.iit.edu>   
                               cc                                          
    Please respond to                                                      
    "The International                                             Subject 
    Radiation Protection               Re: [ RadSafe ] Stolen cobalt-60    
    \(Health Physics\) Mailing         found in Mexico; curious thieves    
    List"                              likely doomed                       
    <radsafe at agni.phys.iit.edu                                             
    >                                                                      
                                                                           
                                                                           
                                                                           
                                                                           




Doomed? Probably so. If I did my math right, they would have been looking
at ~700 rad/h at a foot.

The question is, will medical personnel be able to make a proper diagnosis
of ARS?

Jim Hardeman -- retired :-)
Decatur, GA
jim.hardeman at gmail.com



On Thu, Dec 5, 2013 at 1:24 PM, Boing, Lawrence E. <lboing at anl.gov> wrote:

> That's what I read somewhere yesterday as well ....3,000 Curies....
>
> L Boing
> lboing at anl.gov
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu [mailto:
> radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Lemieux, Bryan P
> Sent: Thursday, December 05, 2013 12:10 PM
> To: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Stolen cobalt-60 found in Mexico; curious
thieves
> likely doomed
>
> I read 3000 Ci.....
>
> On Dec 5, 2013 11:39 AM, "Estabrooks, H Bates (IHK)" <
> estabrookshb at y12.doe.gov> wrote:
> Has anyone revealed/published the activity of the source?
>
> Bates Estabrooks
> Y-12 NSC
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu [mailto:
> radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Harrison - CDPHE, Tony
> Sent: Thursday, December 05, 2013 11:31 AM
> To: radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu
> Subject: [ RadSafe ] Stolen cobalt-60 found in Mexico; curious thieves
> likely doomed
>
> MEXICO CITY - The carjackers who set off international alarm bells by
> absconding with a truckload of highly radioactive material most likely
had
> no idea what they were stealing and will probably die soon from exposure,
> Mexican authorities said at the end of a brief national scare...
>
> The cobalt-60 was found, removed from its casing, in a rural area near
the
> town of Hueypoxtla about 25 miles from where the truck was stolen.
Jimenez
> suspected that curiosity got the better of the thieves and they opened
the
> box. So far the carjackers have not been arrested, but authorities expect
> they will not live long.
>
>
>
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/stolen-cobalt-60-found-in-mexico-curious-thieves-likely-doomed/2013/12/05/262ef990-5d66-11e3-8d24-31c016b976b2_story.html?hpid=z1

>
>
>
> Tony Harrison, MSPH
>
> Inorganic & Radiochemistry Supervisor
>
> Laboratory Services Division
>
> Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
>
> 8100 Lowry Blvd.
>
> Denver, CO  80230
>
> 303-692-3046 |
tony.harrison at state.co.us_______________________________________________
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