More Detail on Turkish Radiation Accident

[StevenFrey@aol.com]

Fellow Radsafers -

The Associated Press has now provided an update on the event, which is much 
larger (and unfortunately more injurious) than originally reported Saturday
morning. 
Here is the latest as of Sunday afternoon:

10 in serious condition after radiation exposure in Turkey 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) - Atomic energy experts Sunday blamed a 2-ton block of
metal in an Istanbul scrap yard that contained a radioactive isotope for
causing 10 people to be hospitalized. 

Experts believe the remains of medical equipment used to give cancer patients
radiation therapy were emitting the radiation, the Anatolia news agency
reported. The hunk of metal apparently contained Cobalt 60, a heavy
radioactive isotope used in some therapy. 

``This is a very strong source (of radiation). This is why we are going to
bury it in concrete,'' said Yasar Ozal, the head of the research center of
Turkey's Atomic Agency. 

Seven adults and three children were in serious condition Sunday, two days
after being exposed to the highly radioactive material, a hospital official
said. 

Dr. Murat Ayer, specialist in internal medicine at Istanbul's Haseki state
hospital, said the adults were suffering from an immune system failure which
makes any infection life-threatening. The children had a bone marrow problem
but their lives were not in danger, he said. 

Two scrap dealers were the first to be hospitalized Friday, suffering from
nausea and dizziness after trying to break the block into pieces. 

Police immediately sealed off the area and local people were brought to
hospital for blood tests. 

The children were brought to hospital after reportedly playing in the yard. 

The scrap dealers had bought the block over a month ago. Six people have been
detained for selling the block. 

End of transmission
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Steve Frey, Head, OHP Dept.
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