FAYETTEVILLE -- A small amount of uranium was found Jan. 13 in a house that had belonged to a nuclear engineering professor.
Uranium-235 was found in a medium-size glass jar with lid, and uranium ore was found in a small glass jar with lid, according to a report the Arkansas Department of Health filed with the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
U-235 is used in nuclear power reactors and nuclear weapons, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The UA's test of the U-235 "did not produce any readable dose," according to the report filed with the commission.
Uranium ore can be found in the earth's crust.
Both containers were marked with stickers noting that they were radioactive material, said Steve Voorhies, a spokesman for the University of Arkansas.
Julia Chakhalian, radiation safety officer at UA, took readings and found no leakage or contamination in the house, said Voorhies, who said the house wasn't on campus.
A team from the state Health Department also found no "radioactive residue" in the house, said Kerry Krell, a spokesman for the department.
The glass containers were found by renters of a house that belongs to the family of the late Cecil Cogburn, said Voorhies.
Cogburn died June 11 at 94, according to an obituary from Moore's Funeral Chapel of Fayetteville.
Cogburn is known as the "father of nuclear engineering education in the state of Arkansas," according to the obituary. Cogburn introduced nuclear engineering courses at the UA, where he taught from 1947 to 1989.
Cogburn donated money to Arkansas Tech University in Russellville, and an addition to Corley Hall on the campus was named in his honor, according to the obituary.
Chakhalian contacted the Health Department and asked for directions, said Voorhies. Health Department officials asked the university to remove the material and hold it in the UA waste storage facility until they could get inspectors to Fayetteville to collect the material. The material was put in storage Jan. 16, and picked up by state inspectors Jan 20, said Voorhies.
"It is unknown at this time if there has been any exposure(s) to the public," according to the report to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which was dated Jan. 16. "The state is awaiting a written report from the licensee and will continue to investigate this event. The state will update this event as more information becomes available."
Krell said the risk is very low.
"The [department's] radiation control team did a survey and contamination smear where the items were found," Krell said via email. "They did not detect any radioactivity, so the risk to the public or anyone near the location is very low.
NW News on 01/27/2015