Deer With High Radiation Level Found at BNL

["R. William Field" <bill-field@UIOWA.EDU>]

Franz, from the quote below it looks like cesium-137 was detected in the

deer.



"The deer tested last week had 21 picocuries of radiation from cesium in its

system."



  --------------------

 Deer With High Radiation Level Found at BNL

 --------------------



 By Ann Givens

 STAFF WRITER



 February 17, 2002



 A 2-year-old deer found on the Brookhaven National Laboratory's campus had

more than twice as much radiation in its body as any deer the lab has

tested.



 This raises concerns for lab officials, who thought they had either fenced

off or cleaned up most of the site's radioactive material.



 Lab officials announced the news to the Community Advisory Council at its

regular meeting Thursday, the same day they obtained the test results. Lab

officials said they are investigating whether there is a radiation "hot

spot" on their property that they don't know about, or if the deer may have

wandered into a fenced-off area where there was known radiation.



 The lab has conducted an intensive cleanup since 1997, when a radioactive

tritium leak and other contamination was discovered at the facility.



 Lab officials said that most likely the deer jumped a fence into a

radioactive area they are in the process of cleaning up.



 "We're checking all avenues, but I'm pretty confident that this is coming

from somewhere that we already know about," said Tim Green, a natural

resource manager at the lab.



 The deer, which lab officials said had been hit by a car, was tested last

week. Lab officials routinely test deer that die on the property. Of the 120

deer the lab has tested since 1992, none has had more than 11 picocuries of

radiation from the chemical cesium in its system. The deer tested last week

had 21 picocuries of radiation from cesium in its system.



 Copyright (c) 2002, Newsday, Inc.



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 This article originally appeared at:

 http://www.newsday.com/news/printedition/ny-lideer172591783feb17.story



> Visit Newsday online at http://www.newsday.com







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