Discovered radioactive source in a railway wagon, loaded with scrap metal

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

Event description:

The Emergency centre of the NRA was notified that on 25^th October 2008 the portal radiation monitoring system of the “Stomana Industry” S.A.–Pernik detected elevated radiation level in a scrap loaded railway wagon. The railway wagon has been stationed on a separate track on a special platform on site and has been put under surveillance.

The measurements have shown slightly elevated radiation levels, about 2 times above the natural background, on the surface of a small area on the side of the wagon. As a reference, the values of the natural gamma background in the area of the Pernik  are between 0,07 and 0,11 µSv/h. Following a field spectrometric analysis, the radioactive isotope Cs-137 (Cesium-137) has been identified.

Emergency team compost by representative from the NRA, Ministry of health and Civil Protection – Ministry of Emergency Situations unloaded partly the wagon. A source of ionising radiation, having the shape of a heavily deformed cylindrical box (diameter around 10 cm and height around 15 cm), was discovered. During an additional field spectrometric analysis, the presence of small amounts of some other radionuclides was detected. The latter shows that the most probably the discovered object presents itself old educational set of sources.

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

There is no any danger for the population and the environment.