Physical dosimetric reconstruction of a radiological accident due to gammagraphy equipment that occurred in Dakar and Abidjan in summer 2006

A severe irradiation accident, due to gammagraphy equipment containing an Ir-192 radioactive source, involving several victims occurred from the 3 June to 3 August 2006 in two African subsidiaries of the French group Bureau Veritas. This article retraces the circumstances of the accident and the physical dosimetric reconstruction made by IRSN on four patients treated in France. The dose reconstruction was based on numerical simulations and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurements performed on bone tissue and tooth enamel samples. The data obtained by physical dosimetry, as complementary elements to biological dosimetry and clinical observations, were helpful for the treatment strategy implemented by the medical team. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.