POLICE in Maryland are investigating an apparent act of sabotage at the National Institutes of Health near Washington DC, in which 26 people were irradiated by radioactive phosphorus from a water cooler.
A pregnant woman received the largest dose, which was about half of the maximum yearly dose according to federal guidelines. Pregnant women are usually advised to avoid radiation of any kind.
The staff at NIH use this isotope in their research. The first case was discovered at the end of June, during a routine sweep of a room with a Geiger counter. In the following weeks, the NIH found that another 25 people had been irradiated. The contamination was traced to the water cooler.
