A garage sale bargain: A leaking 2.2 GBq source, Phase III - The radiological cleanup

As described in a previous paper, a private residence in Bristol, Tennessee, was extensively contaminated when the owner unknowingly handled a leaking 226Ra source of about 60 mCi. Contamination was found on both floors of the two-story house and in the yard. The most extensively contaminated area was a back porch where the owner initially opened the source containment box. Contamination was probably spread most by open-quotes trackingclose quotes by the owner, his wife, and several pet cats. One of the most contaminated objects found was a pillow, a favorite napping place for the cats, which read 25 mR h-1 at contact. Several decon techniques were tried including stripable paints, washing with various agents, etc. However, decontamination was primarily accomplished by physical removal techniques, such as removing carpeting, scraping and sanding wooden surfaces, and by disposal of contaminated objects (much to the owners' dismay). The house and the yard were cleaned up to meet the recommended guidelines for unrestricted release with the expenditure of about 550 hours of effort. The groups assisting the Tennessee Division of Radiological Health included the Department of Energy, Tennessee Valley Authority's Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Scientific Ecology Group. All of the assistance was provided at no cost to the home owner or the State of Tennessee