The vial “probably there for a century” contained very weakly radioactive radium salt powder. No clinical signs were observed in the people who touched it.
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A vial of radium, a radioactive element of natural origin, was discovered in a house in Ribérac (Dordogne) on Saturday February 10 according to exclusive information from France Bleu Périgord. Six people were hospitalized in Périgueux after being in contact with the product. The prefecture ensures that there is no “no direct contamination” And “no risk of radiation”adds Paul de Guibert, head of the Bordeaux division of ASN.
It was the children of the owners who discovered the vial while tidying up the workshop of this house last Saturday. They then called the emergency services, who deployed a large device on site for two days. The Dordogne firefighters, a mobile unit specializing in radiological risks arriving from Gironde, and even experts from IRSN, the Institute of Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety intervened, again according to information from France Bleu Périgord.
No people in danger
The vial “probably there for a century”, believes Paul de Guibert, contained very weakly radioactive radium salt powder. It was secured by the IRSN, and no clinical signs were observed in the people who touched it. The house in question remains closed at the moment while all checks are carried out.
Radium was used at the beginning of the 20th century to paint watch clocks, thanks to its luminescent appearance.
