Accident in Estonia

[Andrew McEwan <Andrew@nrl.moh.govt.nz>]

Daniel Strom wrote

"One accident in particular that we would like to learn more about is the 
one
that
occurred in Estonia in 1994.  All we have seen is "FATALITY CAUSED BY
CESIUM-137
OVEREXPOSURE IN ESTONIA" at
http://tis-hq.eh.doe.gov/web/oeaf/oe_weekly/oe_weekly_94/oe94-48.txt.  Can 
any
of you RADSAFErs help, or can you suggest anyone who can help us obtain
additional details about this incident?"

In October 1994 a stolen Cs-137 source was taken to a house in Estonia and 
kept there for four weeks where a total of 19 people were irradiated.  These 
were several members of the family, friends and neighbours, and medical 
staff making calls.

A joint paper from the physicians in Tallinn and the cytogeneticists in 
Helsinki (Linholm et al, International Journal of Radiation biology 70, 647, 
1996) was the first account of the accident in the open literature.  One 
person died before irradiation was identified.  Five others received 
protracted exposures ranging from 0.5-2.7 Gy and the remainder received 
lesser doses.

_________________________
Andrew C McEwan PhD
National Radiation Laboratory
PO Box 25-099
Christchurch, New Zealand

Ph 64 3 366 5059
Fax 64 3 366 1156
acmcewan@nrl.moh.govt.nz
________________________
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