NIH STATEMENT

[putnam%nihrsb.dnet@dxi.nih.gov]

NIH Statement -- October 10, 1995            Callback 301-496-5787




The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has been deeply concerned about
the contamination of Dr. Ma and 26 other NIH employees by radioactivity
in late June of 1995.  Upon discovering the situation, the NIH informed
the employees, instituted testing, undertook precautionary measures, and 
launched an investigation of this apparently deliberate contamination.  
At the request of the NIH, this investigation is being led by the Federal
Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in collaboration with the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) and the NIH Division of Security.  It would not be 
appropriate for NIH to comment on matters pertaining to this ongoing
criminal investigation.

With all appropriate measures taken to protect the privacy of the 
individuals, all the data collected have been reported to the NRC, in
accordance with reporting requirements of the regulations and the NRC's
investigation into this incident.  No information has been witheld from 
affected indivduals and the NIH is cooperating fully with the FBI and the 
NRC in the conduct of the investigation.

In consultation with internal dosimetry experts, NIH calculated the amount
of radioactivity ingested by the individuals involved in this incident.
These calculations were based on a procedure recommended by the NRC in its 
document "Interpretation of Bioassay Measurements."  The procedure makes
it possible to determine the amount of ingested radioactivity based on 
sequential urine assays for radioactivity done over a number of weeks.
The data from those assays are used to estimate the range of possible 
ingested radioactivity.  Using this methodology and data from all urine
specimens collected, the initial activity for Dr. Ma, in particular,
was calculated to be less than 600 microcuries.  These data were reported
by the NIH during a press conference convened by the NRC on August 8, 1995.

The NIH was in contact with the physician treating Dr. Ma on the night of
the incident.  The NIH also immediately contacted The Radiation Emergency
Assistance Center Training Site (REAC/TS) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee that 
evening for medical counsel and advice and put the REAC/TS physician in
contact with physician treating the individual.  The NIH has consulted with
other physicians who are experts in radiation exposure and those consulted
have concurred that the risk to any individual exposed is minimal.

Nevertheless, the NIH arranged for and encouraged all persons who were
subject to any exposure to avail themselves of the opportunity for 
medical followup by the NIH Occupational Medical Services (OMS).  OMS
involved two physicians from the NIH Clinical Center's Nuclear Medicine
Department to assist in this counseling.  The choice of whether to seek
counsel and medical followup in this matter rested with the individuals.

At the time the incident occurred, the NIH Radiation Safety Program was
under routine inspection by NRC Region I.  That inspection closed with
the finding that, with the exception of minor concerns, the NIH was in
compliance with NRC regulations.  Since the NIH informed the NRC 
immediately of the incident, the NRC assigned additional personnel to 
oversee the NIH response.


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This is the Official Statement Released by NIH
Retyped exactly as it was released.

This is supplied by a fellow 
Radsafer that also works at NIH.