A radioactive material was spilled at University of Tulsa exposing at least 21 people to exposure.

A year ago in the petroleum technology campus a radioactive spill occurred and it was only determined recently. Amazing.

September 2, 2015
By Stacey Ryburn

...Hewitt said he expects the cleanup to be completed next week. (click here)

Researchers were using the cesium in multiphase flow loops, which simulate what happens when oil is pulled out of the ground. In this instance, researchers were using the cesium for a joint industry project managed by the university’s research office.

The North Campus includes a drilling research laboratory and full-size enclosed drilling rig. It was the original site of the Humble Oil and Refining Co. and was donated to the university in 1965, TU spokeswoman Mona Chamberlin said.

Researchers use the campus for a variety of projects. The school has a number of contracts with outside companies, Tracerco being one of them, TU radiation safety officer Scott Holmstrom said.

At least 21 people who were conducting research at the facility will undergo screening for potential exposure.

Exposure to small levels of radiation is not necessarily harmful. Radiation is all around, and there’s even an occupational dose limit for cesium-137.

The amount that spilled at TU is not much higher than that, but officials want to ensure due diligence when handling the material, Holmstrom said.

“Even the smallest amount we want to clean up,” he said.

Long-term effects of radiation exposure can contribute to increased risk of cancer. The spill at TU was so small that there’s no risk of acute radiation sickness, Holmstrom said.

Also, cesium has a biological half-life of about 70 days, meaning the amount in one’s body would get cut in half about a little more than two months, Holmstrom said.

It’s possible that if any of the 21 people who potentially were exposed to the radioactive material were exposed internally, the radiation could be out of their systems by now since the exposure occurred more than a year ago, Holmstrom said.

What caused the spill is still under investigation....