Discovered radioactive source in a railway wagon, loaded with scrap metal, in Stomana Industry” S.A.

Site with SIR or place of the event: “Stomana Industry” S.A, Pernik

Event description:

Upon entry of a wagon with metal scrap into the "Stomana Industry” S.A. (Pernik) a radioactive source containing Ra-226 was discovered, representing hemispherical plastic piece, attached to a metal plate.

The NRA emergency centre was notified that on 22 May 2010 the portal radiation monitoring system of the “Stomana Industry” S.A. – Pernik detected increased radiation level in a scrap-loaded railway wagon supplied by Makmetal Holding, Kazanlak. Written information of the case was received in NRA on 26 May 2010. The wagon has been stationed on a special platform on site and has been put under surveillance.

On 23 May 2010, a dose rate of 0,5 μSv/h was measured with portable radiometer at small contact area on the side of the wagon (the natural radiation background in this area varies from 0,07 to 0,11 μSv/h) . The on-site gamma-spectrometric analysis identified presence of radioactive isotope radium-226. The wagon has been partly unloaded, the source of radiation was found and removed from the scrap. The measured values of the gamma dose rate at 1 m have been up to 0.80 µSv/h.

The source has been packed and put in a safe place for temporary safe storage, and later will be disposed as radioactive waste by the State Enterprise “Radioactive Waste”. After additional measurements the railway wagon has been released for unloading.