Laboratory Workers Contaminated in Plutonium Spill

A “small number of personnel” at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Boulder, Colo., tested positive for internal plutonium contamination following a leak early this month, the laboratory said Friday (see GSN, June 25).

Laboratory officials said the low-level radiation emitted by plutonium could cause cancer and pose other health risks following inhalation or ingestion, the Associated Press reported.  People contaminated in the spill were receiving treatment to purge the substance from their systems, the officials said.

A limited number of plutonium particles spilled out of a cracked vial on June 9, some possibly entering the city’s sewage system after NIST researchers washed their hands.  Tests have turned up no evidence of danger posed by the material, said acting Boulder City Manager Maureen Rait

As of Friday, 29 people had been tested for plutonium contamination, NIST spokeswoman Gail Porter said.  She did not say exactly how many tested positive because more rigorous testing is planned for all laboratory workers.  The results from the new tests, designed to detect lower contamination levels, are expected in about a month.

Trace amounts of plutonium were discovered Thursday in three areas inside another building on the NIST campus, laboratory officials added.  The plutonium was said to have been found on the belongings of a laboratory worker who left the affected laboratory after the spill occurred but before it was reported (Ivan Moreno, Associated Press/Denver Post, June 28).

Back to top
About Newswire  |  Contact National Journal  |  Re-Use Guidelines © Copyright 2008 by National Journal Group, Inc. The material in this section is produced independently for NTI by National Journal Group, Inc. Any reproduction or retransmission, in whole or in part, is a violation of federal law and is strictly prohibited without the consent of the National Journal Group, Inc. All rights reserved.