Lesson learned from Co-60 accident in Thailand

The causes and consequences of a Co-60 radiation accident in Samutprakarn Province, Thailand, were scrutinized to learn lessons aimed at preventing future radiation accidents. "Orphan sources" may end up in scrapyards. An out-of-use Co-60 medical teletherapy source, left unattended in a disused parking area belonging to a Medical Dealer, was stolen and sold to a scrap dealer in Samutprakarn Province at the end of January 2000. Because of its valuable appearance, a number of workers in the scrap trade who were not aware of radiation hazards managed to dismantle all parts. The Co-60 source was removed and left unshielded among pieces of scrap metal in the yard of the scrap shop. Some workers immediately became sick. Eighteen days later when they went to a local hospital their symptoms were recognized as radiation sickness and the incident was reported to the Office of Atomic Energy for Peace (OAEP) in Thailand. The unshielded source, with an estimated activity of 15.7 TBq (425 Ci), was retrieved soon after by an emergency team and placed in safe storage at the OAEP premises. Ten victims developed radiation sickness symptoms, of which three died soon after the accident. The accident alarmed the public, and has raised national concerns. The accident is similar in some ways to the 1987 radiation accident at Goiania, Brazil, involving a Cs-137 radiotherapy source. If not properly disposed of orphan radiation sources can lead to serious injury or even death. The accident highlights the need for security of spent high activity sources and the importance of regulatory controls.