A young scrap metal scavenger in Goi‰nia, the capital of Goi‡s State in the central Brazilian plateau, took a radiation therapy machine from a deserted clinic and sold it to a junk dealer, who wanted the stainless steel. Then the junk dealer noticed a blue glow from a capsule. Someone dug out the powdery material--it was roughly three ounces of cesium 137--with a screwdriver. Others daubed it on their skin as though it were carnival glitter. A 6-year-old girl played with the material, which coated her hands with cesium dust, as she ate.
By the time Goi‡s authorities brought the situation under control several weeks later, 249 people were found to be contaminated, and the 10 most serious patients were transported to Rio de Janeiro for treatment. The 6-year-old girl was severely ill for a month--dead patches of skin on her hands, hair falling out, capillaries rupturing, infections raging in her lungs and kidneys--before she died.
Four of the severely exposed people died from radiation injuries. The emergency response and clean-up effort of houses, buildings, and land lasted six months. All told, more than 100,000 people were monitored for contamination. The teletherapy machine containing the cesium-137 source had been left behind after a private radiotherapy institute moved to new premises. It was left unsecured for about two years before being removed by the scavenger.
More about this accident: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goiânia_accident
Movie about the accident:
By the time Goi‡s authorities brought the situation under control several weeks later, 249 people were found to be contaminated, and the 10 most serious patients were transported to Rio de Janeiro for treatment. The 6-year-old girl was severely ill for a month--dead patches of skin on her hands, hair falling out, capillaries rupturing, infections raging in her lungs and kidneys--before she died.
Four of the severely exposed people died from radiation injuries. The emergency response and clean-up effort of houses, buildings, and land lasted six months. All told, more than 100,000 people were monitored for contamination. The teletherapy machine containing the cesium-137 source had been left behind after a private radiotherapy institute moved to new premises. It was left unsecured for about two years before being removed by the scavenger.
More about this accident: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goiânia_accident
Movie about the accident:
