Iridium Shipment Disappears Briefly

["Mario Iannaccone" <miannacc@dhhs.state.nh.us>]

11:04 AM ET 04/27/99


 Iridium Shipment Disappears Briefly
        BOSTON (AP) _ A lead container with a radioactive material
 strong enough to kill anyone who opened the armored package was
 found in England 10 days after it was supposed to have been shipped
 to Mexico.
        The container, which was found unopened, held a relatively small
 amount of a radioactive isotope of the metal iridium, used to X-ray
 pipeline welds and aircraft parts as well as in treatment of cancer
 tumors.
        The package was shipped via Federal Express on April 16 by AEA
 Technology QSA of Burlington and addressed to a construction
 company in Toluca, Mexico, according to Federal Express and the
 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
        Its disappearance touched off a frantic search and an NRC
 special alert, until it turned up Monday at Stansted Airport
 outside London.
        Because of the isotope's high radioactivity, unprotected
 exposure for more than 10 or 15 minutes could cause a quick death,
 NRC spokesman Neil Sheehan said today.
        He likened the possible physical effects to ``thousands and
 thousands of X-rays.''
        Sheehan said the bulk of the package was made up of protective
 materials and a security system, and the iridium made up a
 relatively small part of the total weight. He said he didn't know
 how much the iridium weighed.
        The cylinder containing the iridium was designed to resist
 breaking even in a 40-foot drop.
        ``These packages are built better than tanks,'' William
 McDaniel, AEA director of operations, told The Boston Globe.
        The NRC said that nationally, packages of nuclear materials are
 misplaced about once a year.
        Federal Express said only 0.5 percent of material it ships is
 radioactive.
        Sheehan said the NRC was satisfied that the iridium package has
 been safely recovered, but said the Department of Transportation is
 expected to investigate.


M Iannaccone,
Health Physicist
miannacc@dhhs.state.nh.us



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