Staff at Walter Reed Army Medical Center might have been exposed to elevated radiation levels after the military’s flagship hospital in Washington mishandled radioactive medical materials in May.
A hospital spokesman told The Associated Press that hospital officials don’t dispute a Nuclear Regulatory Commission notice that parcels containing radioactive materials delivered May 1 sat under a lobby counter for 44 hours before being moved to a safe location.
The NRC said that hospital staff have not reported any physical reactions to the exposure. In the worst cases, staffers were exposed to about 8 percent of what an average American is exposed to each year from natural and manmade radiation sources.
The hospital said it has taken steps to make sure radioactive material is handled better in the future.
