RADIATION ACCIDENTS (SPILLING OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS AT METALLURGICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE; RADIOACTIVE SAND USED IN APARTMENT CONSTRUCTION)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80T00246A041700030001-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 9, 2010
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: April 16, 1958
• Content Type: REPORT

-~ONEFF- /
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/09: CIA-RDP80T00246A041700030001-5
INFORMATION REPORT INFORMATION REPORT
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
This material contains information affecting the National Defense of the United States within the meaning of the Espionage Laws, Title
18, U.S.C. Secs. 793 and 794, the transmission or revelation of which in any manner to an unauthorized person is prohibited by law.
COUNTRY Czechoslovakia
DATE OF
INFO.
PLACE &
DATE ACQ.
DATE DISTR. 1 APR 1 25X1
NO. PAGES 1
REFERENCES RD 25X1
SOURCE EVALUATIONS ARE DEFINITIVE. APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
occurred in the Metallurgical search Institute in Prague in 1954 and an in-
cident which occurred inPrague in 1957 when newly buiJ..t apartment houses were
found to be unsafe for occuppancy because radioactive sand was used in the con-
struction.
STATE X ARMY NAVY AIR FBI AEC
I(Note: Washington distribution indicated by "X"; Field distribution by "#".)
INFORMATION R,EPORT INFORMATION, REPORT
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/09: CIA-RDP80T00246A041700030001-5
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/09: CIA-RDP80T00246AO41700030001-5
COUNTRY: 'Czechoslovakia
DATE: 12 March 1958
C-O-N-F?I?D?E-N-T-I-A-L
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/09: CIA-RDP80T00246AO41700030001-5
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/09: CIA-RDP80T00246A041700030001-5
25X1
Radiation Accidents in
Czechoslovakia
154
1. The Metallurgical Research Institute (Vyzkumny Uatav Kovu) In
Prague used radioirridium to radiograph metals;
it had strong radiation powers, probably several cures. In ,
when a technician of the Institute spilled this radioactive material
and contaminated . his clothes, he exposed his family and all
visitors to his house -- a total of about 40 people. Members of
the Institute of Industrial Hygiene and Disease' tested the people,
and the neighborhood houses with Geiger-Mueller counters and found
large amounts-of radioactivity. The "strong sources", about 20' 25X1
people, were hospitalized for at least one month in the Hospital
for Industrial Medicine. The others were isolated until their
radioactivity decreased to a.safe level.
the doctors probably , 25X1
s e penicillin for the treatment; he also believed
that the exposed people had had rather high doses but he did not
know of any deaths, although he, assumed that some were hopeless
cases. Nothing was published
forbidden to discusa it__~ 25X1
1957
2. In early 1957, an incident occurred with newly built apartment
houses which had been completed at the end of 1956 in Prague-
Strasnice. The mortar used for the construction of the houses
contained sand which came either from places..:loeated near uranium
mines or from other places of high radioactivity. This was the
rumored reason for measuring the radioactivity of the new buildings
with instruments. of the Institute of Industrial Hygiene. The
results showed that the occupancy of these houses would be unsafe
and therefore no tenants were permitted to move ina Nothing was
published about this incident ins to f very
strong Dr
made by the prospective tenants.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/09: CIA-RDP80T00246A041700030001-5