DANGEROUS FIND

Radioactive Material Found in Dead California Man’s Home

Cobalt-57 and radium-286 were found in the home of a man who died earlier this year.

California health officials found low to moderately-radioactive material in a deceased man's San Carlos home, The San Francisco Chronicle reports. The San Mateo County Environmental Health Services division reportedly alerted fire officials on Thursday about the discovery of cobalt-57 and radium-286. While authorities did not know how much of the material was found on-site, they said the material did not pose a threat to the public. “We don’t suspect anything nefarious or bad intent with this material,” Fire Chief Stan Maupin. The house's owner, Ronald Seefred, reportedly died in January at the age of 82. He was an employee of SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory until 2003, which sometimes does work requiring the handling of radioactive substances. However, the lab's deputy director told the newspaper the materials likely did not come from the lab. A California Department of Public Health team will work to remove the material and dispose of it.