Radioactive flasks often go missing-IAEA official

["Sandy Perle" <sandyfl@earthlink.net>]

Tuesday March 9, 2:12 pm Eastern Time

Radioactive flasks often go missing-IAEA official

LONDON, March 9 (Reuters) - Flasks containing radioactive 
material regularly disappear as they travel the world and the loss of 
an isotope at Johannesburg airport last week is just the latest.  

``There are about one to three incidents reported every year 
although the real figure may be higher,'' said David Kyd at the 
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a United Nations 
body.  

Instances of lost or stolen radioactive material in Russia and the 
former Soviet Union probably at least doubles the final figure, 
experts believe.  

Most times nothing serious happens, but every now and again the 
isotopes get into the wrong hands with often disastrous 
consequences.  

In December 1998, scrap metal dealers in Turkey were badly 
burned by radiation after breaking open flasks containing cobalt 60. 
Ten people were treated in hospital and the scrap dealers are still 
there as a precaution against any damage the radiation may have 
done to their immune systems.  

``An occurence like Turkey happens once in ten years. Usually the 
missing isotope is languishing in a warehouse or shed. It would be 
rare for it to end up on the black market, but as a precaution 
Interpol usually gets involved,'' Kyd said.  

Radioactive isotopes have multiple uses. Usually recognised for 
their application in the detection and treatment of cancers they
are also used in engineering, agriculture and industry.

Hundreds of isotopes traverse the globe every single day, usually 
by aircraft. Stored in warehouses while waiting for transport a 
degree of pilfering occurs, but the thiefs are usually unaware just 
how dangerous their bounty is.  

``All radioactive flasks have warning signs. Yellow disks with three 
black paddle should make it clear not to try and break open the 
casks,'' said Kyd.  

The most common outcome is for the missing isotopes to be 
discovered languishing in shed corners. Environmentalists 
complain that the monitoring of radioactive isotopes is too slack 
and tighter measures should be brought in.  

The South African isotope which went missing on March 2 is 
encased in a container that weighs 89 kg and is 36 cm high. It was 
en route to Israel. Members of the public are advised to inform the 
relevant authorities if they come across it and not to tamper with 
the container.  

The IAEA has classed the loss of the isotope as a level two 
incident on a scale from zero to seven. Seven refers to a major 
nuclear accident.

Sandy Perle
E-Mail: sandyfl@earthlink.net 
Personal Website: http://www.geocities.com/capecanaveral/1205

"The object of opening the mind, as of opening 
the mouth, is to close it again on something solid"
              - G. K. Chesterton -
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