RE: I-125 poisoning

["Judd M. Sills" <sillsj@earthlink.net>]

FYI..From the NRC Prelinary Notifications of Unusual Occurrences pages...

See http://www.nrc.gov/OPA/pn/pn19852.htm
Judd M. Sills, CHP
San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station
San Clemente, CA
Phone: 949-368-6693
Fax:   949-368-9841
email: sillsjm@songs.sce.com  or
       sillsj@earthlink.net
---------
November 16, 1998
PRELIMINARY NOTIFICATION OF EVENT OR UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE PNO-I-98-052
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
Brown University                              Notification of Unusual Event
Brown University                              Alert
Providence,Rhode Island  02912                Site Area Emergency
Dockets: 99990001 License No: 3K-036-01       General Emergency
                                            X Not Applicable
Subject:  INTENTIONAL INGESTION OF IODINE-125 TAINTED FOOD
A Brown University graduate student has been charged by Providence police
with using iodine 125-tainted food to poison two other university
students.  The graduate student placed the radioiodine in a food dish and
gave it to his former girlfriend.  The woman's roommate also ate some of
the tainted food.  The police have charged the student with poisoning,
assault and larceny.  The graduate student apparently worked in a
molecular pharmacology laboratory where radionuclides are used, but he
was not authorized to use iodine 125, a byproduct material.  The iodine
125 was apparently secured in a locked cabinet.  The police have closed
the laboratory as part of their investigation.

Brown University holds an academic research and development broad scope
license from the Rhode Island Department of Health's Division of
Occupational and Radiological Health (RIDOH).  Rhode Island is an
Agreement State and has jurisdiction over the use of byproduct material
within its borders.

Brown University discovered the incident when, during a routine thyroid
screening, the female student had elevated radiation levels in her
thyroid despite not using any radioiodine since September.  After further
investigation, university officials discovered the remains of the tainted
food dish at the student's residence.  Subsequently, the university
contacted the RIDOH, the Providence police and state's Attorney General
office on Thursday, November 12.

Preliminary bioassay results made by Brown University of the female
student indicate a whole body dose of less than 2 rem.  The roommate's
dose was an order of magnitude lower.  RIDOH will continue to work with
local authorities on the criminal investigation and monitor the
licensee's actions regarding this matter.

RIDOH has been contacted and concurs with the technical content of this
PN.  The Region I Office of Public Affairs is prepared to respond to
media inquiries.

This PN is current as of 11:00 a.m. on November 16, 1998.
Contact:  D White
          (610)337-5042


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