Moscow radiological suicide, 1960 (original) (raw)

Database of radiological incidents and related events--Johnston's Archive

compiled by Wm. Robert Johnston
last modified 22 September 2007

**Date:**8 June 1960

**Location:**Moscow, Russia, USSR

**Type of event:**suicide by intentional overexposure

Description:

A 19-year-old research worker at a radiological laboratory committed suicide by exposure to a cesium-137 source. He took a capsule containing the source from the laboratory and put it in his left pants pocket for 5 hours, then shifted it around his abdomen and back for 15 hours. His whole body dose was 1,500-2,000 rad, with 3,000 rad to the trunk. Symptoms of radiation sickness developed within hours, and he died after 15 days.

**Consequences:**1 fatality (1,500-2,000 rad).

References:

• Ilyin, L. A., V. Yu. Soloviev, A. E. Baranov, A. K. Guskova, N. M. Nadezhina, and I. A. Gusev, May 2004, "Early medical consequences of radiation incidents in the former URRS territory," 11th International Congress of IRPA, on line, IRPA [http://irpa11.irpa.net/pdfs/7c20.pdf].
• Molecular Biology Working Group, 27 August 1969, "Radiation sickness or death caused by surreptitious administration of ionizing radiation to an individual," on line at Mindfully.org [http://www.mindfully.org/Nucs/Surreptitious-Radiation-Administration.htm].
• Mould, R. F., 2000, Chernobyl Record: The Definitive History of the Chernobyl Catastrophe, Institute of Physics Publ. (Bristol, UK).

© 2004, 2007 by Wm. Robert Johnston.
Last modified 22 September 2007.
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