NIH

[Gary Masters <gmasters@csn.net>]

Since it's a topic discussion again, here is the NRC information release
from this incident:

Date: Thu, 20 Jul 95 16:30:30 -0500
Message-Id: <9507202130.AA28380@nrc.gov>
Errors-To: melissa@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu
Reply-To: radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu
Originator: radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu
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From: <cgj@nrc.gov>  (Cynthia G. Jones )
To: Multiple recipients of list <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
Subject: NIH)PRELIMINARY REPORTS)AGAIN
X-Listserver-Version: 6.0 -- UNIX ListServer by Anastasios Kotsikonas
X-Comment:  Radiation Safety Distribution List 

SECOND MESSAGE.  Since many of you have e-mailed me to get a copy
of the Preliminary Reports on NIH again (because they were
unreadable on RADSAFE), let me try to internet these messages
again:

                                 -1-                  July 17,
1995

PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION OF EVENT OR UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE
PNO-I-95-025A

This preliminary notification constitutes EARLY notice of events
of POSSIBLE
safety or public interest significance. The information is as
initially
received without verification or evaluation, and is basically all
that is
known by Region I staff in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania on this
date.

Facility                                    Licensee Emergency
Classification
National Institute Of Health                  Notification of
Unusual Event
National Institute Of Health                  Alert
Bethesda,Maryland                             Site Area Emergency
Dockets: 03001786 License No: 19-00296-10     General Emergency
                                            X Not Applicable


Subject:  INTERNAL CONTAMINTION OF RESEARCHER UPDATE                     


On July 14, 1995, at 3:15 p.m., the licensee's Radiation Safety         

Officer(RSO) informed the NRC Region I that a contaminated water
cooler  
had been identified during the licensee's investigation of an
incident   
involving internal contamination of a researcher that had been
reported  
to the NRC on June 30, 1995.                                            

                                                                        

The licensee stated that through urine bioassays their
investigation has 
identified approximately 25 additional individuals who have low
level    
internal phosphorus-32 (P- 32) contamination.  These individuals
worked  
in the same building as the originally contaminated researcher. 
The     
licensee, in looking for a commonality for the source of
contamination,  
surveyed all the water coolers and found radiation levels on the
spigot  
and in the reservoir of one water cooler on the floor of the
building    
where the individuals all work.  The five gallon water bottle was
removed
from the water cooler and no detectable activity was found on the
outside
of the bottle or in the water within the bottle.                        

                                                                        

The RSO stated that the vendor supplying the water bottles for
the cooler
had picked up the empty bottles on July 13, 1995.  In a telephone
call   
with the vendor the RSO learned that the empty bottles were
returned to  
the vendor's collection facility.  Bottles picked up prior to
July 13,   
1995, were reshipped to the vendor's bottling facility.  At the
bottling 
facility the bottles are washed with hot soapy water, rinsed, and       

sterilized prior to being refilled with fresh water and recapped
for     
later distribution.  Analysis of wash water and samples of
recycled full 
water bottles from the bottling facility showed no detectable
activity in
the wash water or filled water bottles.  The empty bottles at the       

collection facility identified as coming from NIH were surveyed
today and
no contamination was identified.  There are no adverse health           

consequences for members of the public from this event.                 

                                                                        

The licensee continues to investigate for possible sources of           

contamination.                                                          

                                                                        

PNO-I-95-025A                  -2-



NRC managers and Commissioner's Assistants have been briefed. 
Region I  
AIT will be on site to continue its evaluation of the event, July
17,    
1995.                                                                   

                                                                        

The State of Maryland and Region II have been informed.  Region
II       
contacted the Commonwealth of Virginia.  Office of Public Affairs
is     
prepared to respond to media inquiries.                                 

                                                                        

This information is current as of 11:30 a.m., July 17, 1995             



Contact:  Jenny M. Johansen     Susan F. Shankman                        

          (610)337-5304         (610)337-5283                     






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 * Gary Masters, ALARA Program Coordinator, RFETS   gmasters@csn.net *
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