fm NRC's Daily Report-personnel contamination

[sandy_perle@email.fpl.com]

     Is this an indication that "routine surveys" are not conducted?
     
     
     Sandy Perle
     Supervisor Health Physics
     Florida Power and Light Company
     Nuclear Division
     
     (407) 694-4219 Office
     (407) 694-3706 Fax
     
     sandy_perle@email.fpl.com


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                                                         October 16, 1995

PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION OF EVENT OR UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE PNO-I-95-044 

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
Massachusetts Institute Of Technology         Notification of Unusual Event
Mit                                           Alert
77 Massachusetts Avenue                       Site Area Emergency
Cambridge,Massachusetts  02139                General Emergency
Dockets: 03000763 License No: 20-01537-02   X Not Applicable


Subject:  UPTAKE OF 579 MICROCURIES OF PHOSPHORUS-32 BY AN INDIVIDUAL     

On Monday, October 16, 1995 at 10:15 a.m., the licensee informed the     
Region I Office of an uptake of 579 microcuries of phosphorus-32 (P-32)  
by a male researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)  
that was discovered on August 19, 1995.  The individual had worked with  
P-32 only on August 14 and August 19 of that week and discovered that he 
was contaminated during a routine survey of his work area on August 19.  
The individual noted that there was an unusually high background in the  
laboratory which made it difficult to perform his close-out survey at the
end of that work day.  In attempting to discover why the laboratory      
background was high, he determined that his internal radioactive         
contamination was the cause.                                             
                                                                         
The MIT Radiation Safety Office began their response to the contamination
event on August 19 with surveys of the work area and of the individual's 
home.  No contamination was identified in the individual's home and no   
unusual contamination was found in the work area.  On Monday, August 21, 
the individual brought his clothing, worn during the previous week and   
cataloged by wear day, for survey at MIT.  The MIT Radiation Safety      
Office identified P-32 contamination on an item of underwear worn August 
14, and thus, believe this is the best estimate for the date of the      
intake.                                                                  
                                                                         
The MIT Radiation Safety Office has accumulated 6 weeks of urinalyses and
whole-body scans to determine the individual's uptake and have assessed  
the intake to be a maximum of 579 microcuries.  At the individual's      
request, an outside expert is reviewing the data and assessment to verify
if appropriate samples were taken, if analyses were done correctly, and  
to determine if the assessment is realistic.  The MIT Radiation Safety   
Office has provided to NRC a copy of the report of the assessment        
released to the individual during the week of October 9.  A copy of the  
report from the outside expert will be provided to the NRC Region I      
Office as soon as it is received by MIT.                                 
                                                                         
The individual has reported the contamination to the MIT Campus Police,  
who are reviewing the information.  The MIT Radiation Safety Office did  
not report the contamination incident to NRC sooner because they believe 
it does not meet the required reporting criteria.  The magazine Nature   
has contacted them for information about the event.  MIT will issue a    
press release.                                                           
PNO-I-95-044                   -2-



                                                                         
When the contamination incident was discovered, the MIT Radiation Safety 
Office confiscated all radioactive material in the laboratory in order to
do a complete inventory and to remove any possible additional            
contamination.  Based on incoming orders and records of use of           
radioactive material in the laboratory, they determined that all material
was accounted for except for approximately 500 microcuries of P-32.      
Surveys and bioassays identified no additional contamination.            
                                                                         
The MIT Radiation Safety Office allowed work with radioactive materials  
to resume in early September in the laboratory where the contamination   
event occurred.  The contaminated individual has returned to work but was
requested to do no work with radioactive material indefinitely. In       
addition, the Radiation Safety Office has required more stringent        
inventory and accountability of radioactive materials in this laboratory 
and has increased oversight there.                                       
                                                                         
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has been notified of the contamination 
event.  The Region I Office of Public Affairs is prepared to respond to  
media interest.  NRC Region I plans an immediate inspection at MIT to    
follow-up on the licensee's actions to assess this contamination event.  
This PN was read to the licensee over the telephone and was correct as of
4:30 p.m. on October 16, 1995.                                           


Contact:  J. Kinneman                                                     
          (610)337-5252