COMPANY TO DETERMINE EXTENT OF CHEMICAL SPILL

Southeast Missouri State University has updated action taken in the radioactive chemical spill at Magill Hall.

A vial of the radioactive americium 241 was found spilled in a safe in Magill Hall's basement. Americium, a radioactive, metallic, man-made chemical element found in smoke detectors, poses little health hazard unless it is inhaled.

Southeast released this information Monday:

* Southeast and Science Applications International Corp. have agreed on a contract in the second phase of cleanup.

* The company has begun a survey to determine the amount of contamination. The company will clean up contaminated areas and dispose of the hazardous materials.

* The company will send a questionnaire to people who came in contact with the chemical from the spill. From the questionnaires the company will determine who might have future health problems from contact with the chemical.

* From the questionnaire, the company hopes to determine when the exposure occurred.

* Southeast expects a report from Hegelson Scientific Services on the results of its mobile testing laboratory. Forty-nine people were scanned for possible intake of the chemical. Because of the variables involved, Science Applications consultants say the tests might have to be correlated with other testing methods to be certain that more people haven't' been exposed to the material.

* Science Applications will evaluate the results to determine if follow-up testing is necessary.