Re: P32 contamination

["Wesley M. Dunn" <WDUNN@brc1.tdh.state.tx.us>]

For those (like me) who want to know, the ALI is 600 uCi (ingestion)
for P-32 (non-phosphate; 400 uCi for certain phosphates).  So a 300
uCi ingestion is extremely significant, as is the appearance that the
water cooler might have been "spiked" with P-32.

Wes

> From: Sandy_Perle_at_USFPL201@email.fpl.com
> To: Multiple recipients of list <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
> Subject: P32 contamination
>
>      This is the info that was distributed to us.
>
>      Sandy Perle
>      Supervisor Health Physics
>
>
>
> ______________________________ Forward Header __________________________________
>                                    EVENT TEXT
> +------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> +
> | INTERNAL CONTAMINATION OF AN INVESTIGATOR AT THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF
> |
> | HEALTH.
> |
> |
> | THIS EVENT IS BEING REPORTED AS INFORMATION, BECAUSE IT DOES NOT APPEAR
> |
> | THAT AN ANNUAL LIMIT ON INTAKE WAS EXCEEDED.  HOWEVER, THERE ARE SOME
> |
> | SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES REGARDING THE OCCURRENCE.  THE ISOTOPE THAT WAS
> |
> | INGESTED IS P-32.
> |
> |
> |
> | THE INCIDENT IS UNDER INVESTIGATION BY THE NIH SAFETY AND SECURITY
> |
> | PROGRAMS.  THERE ARE NO ADVERSE HEALTH CONSEQUENCES EXPECTED FOR THE
> |
> | INVESTIGATOR.  THE ESTIMATED INGESTION IS ABOUT 300 MICROCURIES OF P-32,
> |
> | BASED ON URINE AND BLOOD SAMPLES.  P-32 EMITS A 1.7 Mev BETA.  THE LICENSEE
> |
> | BELIEVES THAT THE EVENT PROBABLY OCCURRED AROUND 1200 ON 6/28/95.
> |
> |
> | ***UPDATE AT 17:00 7/14/95 BY SEBROSKY***
> |
> | PAPERIELLO), REGION I(KANE, JOHANSEN), AND REGION II(MALLETT).  DURING THE
> |
> | INVESTIGATION OF THE ORIGINAL CONTAMINATION, THE LICENSEE IDENTIFIED A
> |
> | CONTAMINATED WATER COOLER.  WHEN THE LICENSEE REMOVED THE WATER BOTTLE FROM
> |
> | THE COOLER, THE COOLER SHOWED INTERNAL CONTAMINATION.  THE LICENSEE HAS
> |
> | ALSO IDENTIFIED 24 ADDITIONAL PERSONS WITH ELEVATED P-32 IN THEIR URINE.
> |
> | THE LICENSEE AND THE AIT ARE CONTINUING THEIR RESPECTIVE INVESTIGATIONS.
> |
> +------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> +