Thieves steal
dangerously radioactive ampoules from Russian plant
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Feb 14,
2002
Text of report in English by Russian AVN Military News
Agency web site
Moscow, 14 February: Two Kripton-85 radiation sources have
been stolen from the Polimerplenka [polymer film] enterprise
located in the Verkhnedneprovsk village 100 km east of
Smolensk, a spokesman for the Emergencies Ministry told
Interfax-Military News Agency on Thursday [14 February]. "Each
source contains an ampoule with radioactive gas and its emission makes 230
millicurie, which is enough for a person to get a lethal dose
quickly," the spokesman said.
A ministry expert said, "the radiation level of shells with
depleted uranium cores on which the global mass media reported
after the NATO operation in Yugoslavia makes some 3.4
millicurie. At the same time each core surface emits some
1,000 alpha particles and 36,000 beta particles per second."
According to the expert, the emission norm of three millicurie
is considered safe. An even slightly heavier dose badly
affects a sensible [tangible] part of the population.
The ministry reported that the prosecutor's office of
Smolensk Region had launched a criminal case to investigate
the theft of the sources. Specialists of the Emergencies
Ministry are taking part in the search, too.
Source: AVN Military News Agency web site, Moscow, in
English 0941 gmt 14 Feb 02
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