Announcement - Asse II mine
11 August 2017: Reportable event no. 002/2017
When investigating an enclosed radiation source with liquid content in early April 2017, a leak was discovered. Two employees from the Asse II shaft mine have been contaminated on the hand. The radiation protection employees from the shaft mine arranged incorporation monitoring for the persons tasked with the investigation and the results are now available.
In the context of incorporation monitoring it was investigated whether radioactive material had unintentionally been absorbed into the body, for example through food, respiratory passages or through the skin. Assessment of the samples was made by the state-recognised incorporation measuring point at the Jülich Research Centre and an incorporation of the alpha-radiating nuclide americium-241 was ascertained.
The effective dose for each of the two people was under 0.05 mSv. It is therefore very low and lies far below the permitted limit value of 6 mSv per year for persons exposed occupationally to radiation in Category B. Asse-GmbH has taken precautions against any recurrence of a comparable event.