Estimated dose to a flood clean-up worker

A worker involved in flood clean-up during the winter of 1994-1995 was inadvertently exposed to gamma rays from 226Ra and progeny. She worked near the radium, in the form of 10 radium needles, for 2.5 d, until it was identified and removed. Her external exposure was reconstructed and estimated to be 1.25-1.75 mSv (125-175 mrem). The activity of the radium needles (30 mCi each) was estimated by measuring the exposure rate at 1 m.