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1962 Mexico City Radiation Accident

By shannon.nguyen

  • New Beginnings

    New Beginnings
    March
    - Family moves into their new home in Mexico city
    - Husband, wife, and two children
    - Unbeknownst to the family, a lost radioactive device without its protective shielding, was nearby

  • Ticking Time Bomb

    Ticking Time Bomb
    • Grandmother notices blackening of their glassware, but thinks nothing more of it
    • Boy's mother, pregnant at the time, began to feel ill as she was constantly in the kitchen
    • The grandmother began taking over chore duties to help the boy's mom

  • Beginning of the End

    Beginning of the End
    • Entire family begins to fall ill
    • By April 29, the 10-year old boy dies
    • Boy received the highest dose, primarily due to his direct contact with the cobalt-60

  • Discovery of Container

    Discovery of Container
    April
    - At some point, radioactive source was taken out of the container and was found in the yard by the 10-year old boy from the family
    - Radioactive 5-Ci cobalt-60 capsule
    - Boy puts source into his pocket and brings it home

  • And so it begins

    And so it begins
    • Boy's mother finds capsule in his pants
    • Capsule is placed in a kitchen drawer and forgotten about
    • Grandmother moves in with family

  • Theft

    Theft
    • In early 1962, a privately owned radiography equipment storage facility was broken into
    • Among the stolen items were radiation therapy devices containing highly radioactive isotope of cobalt, specifically cobalt-60
    • These devices were used for medical purposes, such as cancer treatment
    • Likely unaware of the dangerous nature of the material they stole, the thieves dismantled the equipment and sold it as scrap metal

  • Investigation

    Investigation
    • Mother passed on July 19th, 1962
    • Fetus did not survive
    • Medical experts begin investigation

  • Lost and Found

    Lost and Found
    • Following the mother's death, the capsule was found and removed from the house
    • By then it was too late to help save the rest of the family
    • Entire family experienced all phases of Acute Radiation Syndrome

  • Deaths

    Deaths
    • 2 year old daughter dies August 18th, 1962
    • Grandmother dies October 15th, 1962
    • Father was the only survivor

  • Radiation Exposure Analysis

    Radiation Exposure Analysis
    • Medical team estimates the doses of radiation the family received
    • 10 year old boy: ESD: 4,700-5,200 rad
    • Mother: ESD: 3,500 rad
    • Toddler sister: ESD: 3,000 rad
    • Grandmother: ESD: 3,000 rad
    • Father: ESD: 990-1,200 rad

  • Summary

    Summary
    • Radiology storage facility robbed of equipment
    • The equipment was dismantled by thieves and sold as scraps
    • Highly radioactive isotope of cobalt ended up in the yard of a family who had just moved into their home
    • Boy finds it and brings it home
    • Signs of radioactive effects were blackening of their glassware & illness
    • The boy dies within a month. The rest of his family dies in the following months. The father was the only survivor
    • Total of 4 deaths from this radiation accident