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 18^th December 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 significantly elevated radiation levels, up to 43 µSv/h on the surface of a small area on the top of the wagon, associated to a single scrap-metal bale. 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 and Ministry of Health unloaded the wagon. Inside the bale a source, having the shape of a small cylindrical capsule (diameter around 4 mm and height around 10 mm), containing the isotope of Cs-137, was found. The following values of the dose rate have been measured: at 10 cm – about 200 µSv/h; at 1 cm – 5,3 mSv/h.

No additional contamination was found inside the unloaded bale, as well as at the whole wagon and the wagon was released for further treatment. The source will be disposed as radioactive waste by the State Enterprise “Radioactive Waste”.

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