Anecdote

[baumbaug@nosc.mil (Joel T. Baumbaugh)]

     Carol,

     I've  worked for a couple of universities and I'm not  going
to  say  where  the following problem occurred - I  could  easily
loose  some friends that way.  As you might expect, some students
have  had considerable experience with radioisotopes and  respect
what their working with and some don't.  One experience (of many)
that  sticks  out in my mind had to do with a call I received  at
home  (on  a  July 3rd evening) from a lab in a  building  I  was
responsible for.

     When  I arrived at the university,  I was told that during a
routine   laboratory  self  survey,  they  had  discovered   some
contamination in the lab and out of the lab on the hallway floor.
An understatement as it turned out.

     Three days later the spill(s) were finally cleaned up.

The story:

     A  graduate  student (who unfortunately did not  speak  much
english)  had  moved some (multi-multi millicurie)  labeled  P-32
gels  from  one  lab  to another which  (unfortunately)  were  on
different  floors  of the same building.  He was not, of  course,
using  a  secondary container (a university requirement) and  the
gels dripped EVERYWHERE!!!.

     I  found  that  the two labs were BADLY  contaminated.   Lab
benches,  refrigerators,  phones, light switches, desks,  chairs,
purses,  pens, pencils, most laboratory equipment, etc...even the
survey  meters  were  contaminated!   The floors  were  so  badly
contaminated  that at a standing position, with a probe at  waist
height,  a  Ludlum-3 with a pancake probe was pegged out  on  the
x100  scale  (i.e. greater than 400,000 cpm).  The cold room  was
really  bad.   The  floor  was  so  contaminated  that  1/8  inch
plexiglass  was  purchased and laid over the floor for  6  months
until  levels decayed to acceptable levels.  Two floors of the  5
story      building     were     (temporarily)     closed     and
checked/decontaminated   tile   by  tile  as  many   people   had
unknowingly  walked  through the contamination to and from  their
own  labs  (remember  -  university labs operate  night  and  day
virtually  365 days/year).  Almost every lab and most offices  on
the  two floors and some areas on other floors (stairwells  etc.)
were  found  contaminated.  Two elevator floor  rugs  were  badly
contaminated  and  removed for decay (anything that had a  static
charge).   The labs themselves had many areas of contamination in
excess of 400,000 CPM.  The bathrooms were contaminated (we found
that the student had used the urinal, but not washed his hands by
following  the  contamination  from  his shoes  -  step  by  step
[yuck]).   People  took  meters home and found that  their  cars,
homes  and  clothing (especially shoes) were  contaminated.   The
city's   public   transportation  had  to   be   contacted   (how
embarrassing) and city bus' had to be checked.

     After  a  meeting with about 40 lab personnel  (called  from
home), and the P.I. to discuss what we were going to do and how I
wanted  them  to  do  it, clean-up started in one  lab  by  first
"rigidly"  establishing  a clean area - complete with step  on  -
step  off pads, shoe covers (using plastic bags) etc.  From  that
clean area, the area was extended - literally foot by foot to the
rest of the floor and beyond.  It took many hours and many people
to make it work.  It was a learning experience for everyone.

     The  labs did not re-open for 2 weeks.  People's research  -
their  graduate projects were ruined!  Months of work were  lost.
The  Principle Investigator almost lost his authorization to  use
radioisotopes permanently.  It was an absolute mess.....

     Despite  urine  checks (counted on L.S.C.'s), there  was  no
internal  contamination discovered in anyone.  Personal dosimetry
readings were pretty low considering the dose rates involved.

     That's my story,

     Joel Baumbaugh (baumbaug@nosc.mil)
     NRaD
     San Diego, Ca

     Std.  Disclaimer.   My boss, the federal government and  the
Navy  have  never heard this story and actually have  nothing  to
agree or disagree with, I hope...