A common use of high activity Co-60 sources around the world is in the treatment of cancer patients (radiotherapy). The services of specialist companies are normally used to exchange the sources and maintain the equipment. A radiological accident occurred when a disused Co-60 teletherapy head was partially dismantled, taken from an unsecured storage location and sold as scrap metal. Altogether, ten people received high doses from this source, out of whom three died within two months of the accident as a consequence of their exposure.
Response / Action taken
Under the Convention on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency, the authorities requested advice from the IAEA on the medical treatment of the exposed people.
In addition to a radiation level
survey, contamination surveys were also carried out. No contamination was
found. From this survey, the emergency response team concluded that the
accident involved a sealed radioactive source of unknown size, either from an
industrial radiography device or from a medical treatment machine. The
radiation level survey found a dose rate of up to 10 Sv/h in the junkyard
around the pile of scrap where the source was located. Swift action to abate
the problem was the preferred course. Accordingly, the local area was cordoned
off at a radiation level of 300 µSv/h, which occurred about 10 m from the
junkyard. Access to the junkyard was restricted and the street outside was
closed to traffic.
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