Radiological Accident in Turkey

[StevenFrey@aol.com]

The Associated Press reported this story early Saturday morning 01/09/99:

ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) - Two Turkish scrap dealers who were exposed to a
suspected radioactive substance on the outskirts of Istanbul were hospitalized
Friday in serious condition, officials said. 

The two brothers may have been exposed to radiation after trying to break up a
2-ton block of iron and lead they had bought weeks before, police said.  The
person who sold the block has been arrested. 

Police sealed off the area where the block was found and local residents were
taken to the hospital for blood tests.  Seven people were taken to the
hospital and later released, Anatolia reported. 

Blood samples of the brothers, Nacki and Ilyas Ilgar, were being analyzed
after elements of cobalt and lead were found on their bodies, Ahmet Sandikci
of the Ikitelli Hospital told The Associated Press. 

``We found radioactive substances on them.  Both men are now in quarantine,''
Sandikci said. 

The Anatolia news agency quoted a hospital doctor as saying one of the men had
severe burns on his hands.  ``Their health condition is very serious and very
dangerous,'' Dr. Caglar Canbolat was quoted as saying. 

Canbolat said he had contacted Turkey's Atomic agency.

Steve Frey, MS, CHP
Head, Operational Health Physics Department
Stanford Linear Accelerator Center
************************************************************************
The RADSAFE Frequently Asked Questions list, archives and subscription
information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html