Japanese researcher held in lab incident

["Sandy Perle" <sandyfl@ix.netcom.com>]

The following article was posted in the Japanese news service, Asahi 
Shimbun, July 22, 1997. I find some interesting, yet puzzling 
remarks, such as: "P-32 and C-14 stored in lead containers", 
"An alarm system is supposed to sound if radioactive isotopes are
accidentally leaked...", etc.  Seems that other countrys have their 
intentional contamination issues, just as we have seen reported, here 
in the USA.
----------------

OSAKA--Police arrested a technical officer of microbiology at Osaka
University on Monday on suspicion of scattering a radioactive isotope
on the floor of a genetics research facility in June, officials said. 

Takeshi Ohara, 40, is suspected of stealing four ampules of
phosphorus-32 and an ampule of carbon-14, as well as a lead container
for these ampules, and then dripping the liquefied isotope onto the
floor, desks and hallways of the facility around midnight on June 24,
officials said. 

Even though Ohara has confessed, police are baffled as to how he
entered the facility at the time of the incident. To enter the
facility, a magnetic ID-card is required for security reasons,
according to university officials. 

However, the record left on the computer showed Ohara's ID card had
not been used on the night of the incident, officials said. 

An alarm system is supposed to sound if radioactive isotopes are
accidentally leaked but it did not operate at the time of the
incident, university officials said. 

Police said the facility was contaminated with radioactivity,
disrupting the work of Ohara's colleagues and ongoing graduate school
research programs. 

According to Ohara's confession, police confiscated lead containers in
the university and found some carbon-14 left in them. 

Ohara had been working at the university since 1995 and his main job
was to support the research activity of university students,
university officials said 

------------------
Sandy Perle
Technical Director
ICN Dosimetry Division
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Office: (800) 548-5100 x2306 
Fax:    (714) 668-3149
  
mailto:sandyfl@ix.netcom.com
mailto:sperle@icnpharm.com

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