CREMATORY CONTAMINATED DUE TO MEDICAL IMPLANT
The following information was provided via facsimile transmission:
"The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) received a phone call from the Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison informing them that the university had received a phone call from a funeral home that had just cremated remains of a person who had received an I-125 lung mesh implant. The implant was put in the patient on September 13, 2012 at the University of Wisconsin-Madison hospital. The patient was implanted with a lung mesh with 40 seeds totaling 23 mCi. The funeral home received a phone call during the cremation, from a family member notifying them that the person had received a radiation treatment a few weeks prior to the cremation. The cremation took place on September 20, 2012. After the cremation was completed, the crematory remained closed until DHS inspectors arrived. DHS conducted an investigation on September 21, 2012. Radiation readings inside the crematorium were 0.75 mR/hr with a Victoreen, Model 451 (#199588, calibrated on 1/20/2012). The cremains read 3.8 mR/hr on contact with a plastic bag. They have placed the cremains in a concrete container and radiation levels were at background on the outside of the container. No other areas of the facility were contaminated. The facility has agreed to suspend the operations until clean-up."
* * * UPDATE FROM KUHLMAN TO KLCO ON 10/8/2012 AT 1012 EDT* * *
The following corrected information was received by email:
The State of Wisconsin made the clarification that the funeral home received notification from an authorized medical physicist from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Notified the R3DO(Valos) and FSME via email.
Wisconsin Event Report ID No.: WI120013
