Wednesday, July 02, 2008
NIST: Lab workers exposed to plutonium
A plutonium spill at a National Institute of Standards and Technology laboratory in Boulder, CO, has resulted in internal plutonium exposure among a "small number" of personnel, the agency reported last Friday.
On June 9, a vial containing one-fourth of a gram of plutonium-laced powder was discovered to be cracked, and some particles had spilled out. Trace contamination was found on the shoes or clothing of 22 employees. On June 27, NIST announced that urine tests among some of the exposed personnel detected the weak radiation signal of the principle form of plutonium that can cause adverse health effects.
Further testing was underway, and all potentially exposed employees were being monitored, NIST said.
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