On December 16, news went viral that nuclear or radioactive material was missing in New Jersey. After rumors began spreading that the creepy, mystery drones might be looking for radioactive material, many people on social media were quick to connect the two. But the idea of the drones searching for nuclear material is just a theory (with no clear evidence at this point). More importantly, a deeper look at exactly what is missing will ease some minds.
A Calibrator That Works with a PET Scanner is Missing
Although headlines might make you think that radioactive uranium for a dirty bomb is missing, that’s actually not the case at all. Instead, it’s a pin source that works with PET scanners.
The full report is below, but you can also read it here.
The report was made on December 5 from the Nazha Cancer Center in Newfield, New Jersey. They reported via email that on December 3, a “Ge-68 pin source” that was being disposed was lost in transit on December 2. It belongs to a Eckert & Ziegler model HEGL-0132, with a current “approximate activity of 0.267 mCi.”
The GE-68 pin is a calibration scope used in PET scanners (an imaging device that uses a radioactive drug to study metabolic activity.) You can see an example of it for sale here.
According to the report, it was lost in transit when it was being disposed of. “The shipping container arrived at its destination damaged and empty… If the source is not located within the 30 days, the licensee will follow-up with a full written report to include root cause(s) and corrective actions.”
We asked ChatGPT about this, and it noted: “This level of activity is common in calibration or test sources, particularly in medical imaging or radiation detection devices. Germanium-68 is a weakly radioactive isotope with a half-life of approximately 271 days. At this activity level, the radiation emitted is low and generally considered safe for use in controlled environments… A properly shielded source like a sealed Ge-68 pin typically emits negligible radiation externally.”
It also noted: “Ge-68 sources of this activity are commonly used for calibrating PET scanners or in gamma cameras, where the risk to personnel is minimal if proper protocols are followed.”
It notes that the source poses a low risk in most settings, but “Direct, prolonged contact with an unshielded source can lead to unnecessary localized exposure” and “Mismanagement or mishandling (e.g., ingestion, inhalation if unsealed) could increase risks.”
The Event Notification Notes a ‘Less than Cat 3’ Level of Radioactive Material
So while it’s certainly not perfectly safe to lose one of these and it does pose some risks, according to the event report, this isn’t something that would cause a huge detonation or would account for the use of hundreds of drones.
The event notification says it’s a “Less than Cat 3” level of radioactive material. It goes on to say this means “sources that are very unlikely to cause permanent injury to individuals or contain a very small amount of radioactive material that would not cause any permanent injury.”
Stephanie Dwilson is a licensed attorney and has a master's in science in science and technology journalism. She's known for her thorough, accurate reporting and commitment to journalistic integrity in all her work. You can reach her at writerdube@gmail.com.
