1987 - Cesium 137 Incident

The 1987 Goiânia, Brazil cesium-137 incident was a major radiological disaster that began on September 13, 1987, when scavengers broke open an abandoned radiotherapy machine and released a glowing blue, highly radioactive cesium chloride powder. Over the following two weeks, the substance was unknowingly handled, traded, and shared among local residents, exposing hundreds of people. The contamination led to four deaths, widespread illness, and the demolition of more than 40 homes to contain the radiation.

Key details of the Goiânia accident:

• Source: The radioactive material came from a cesium-137 teletherapy unit left behind at the Instituto Goiano de Radioterapia (IGR), a private clinic that had relocated and abandoned the equipment.
• The Incident: Two men, believing the device was scrap metal, dismantled the machine on September 13, 1987, and removed the capsule, first taking it home and later bringing it to a junkyard.
• Contamination Spreading: The glowing powder attracted curiosity. It was shared among friends and family, and some individuals even applied it to their skin, unaware of the danger.
• The Reaction: Radioactivity was not identified until September 29, 1987, when the junkyard owner’s wife, noticing illness among those exposed, brought part of the machine to health officials.
• Health and Environmental Impact: More than 112,000 people were screened for contamination; 249 were found to be contaminated, and 46 required intensive medical treatment. Four people died from acute radiation sickness.
• Consequences: The disaster, rated level 5 on the 7-level International Nuclear Event Scale (INES), prompted Brazil to significantly overhaul its radioactive material control and waste management protocols.