IEMA working to identify, secure contaminated pet bowls at 11 Petco stores in Illinois

Items pose no immediate health risk

[July 02, 2012]  SPRINGFIELD -- The Illinois Emergency Management Agency announced Friday that it is coordinating with Petco to identify and secure stainless steel pet bowls that are contaminated with low levels of cobalt-60, a radioactive material. According to Petco officials, shipments containing the potentially contaminated bowls were sent to 11 stores in Illinois. While the bowls present no immediate health risk, IEMA is working with federal officials to prevent unnecessary radiation exposure by anyone who comes in contact with them.

The contaminated items are stainless steel bowls 9.25 inches in diameter, 3.75-cup capacity with the SKU number 1047493. (SKU numbers can be found on labels inside and on the bottom of the bowls.)

Petco stores that received bowls in the suspect shipments include:

• 2000 N. Clybourn, Chicago

• 440 N. Orleans St., Chicago

• 629 E. Dundee Road, Palatine

• 2204 S. Harlem, North Riverside

• 4411 16th St., Moline

• 1310-1312 E. Main St., Carbondale

• 2046 N. State Route 50, Bourbonnais

• 199 S. Route 83, Elmhurst

• 9645 Skokie Blvd., Skokie

• 17930 Halstead St., Homewood

• 11720 S. Marshfield, Chicago

In addition, bowls were received at a distribution center in Joliet. Petco believes five potentially contaminated bowls were sold on June 14-15 at its store at 2000 N. Clybourn in Chicago.

On Friday, IEMA inspectors visited the stores on North Clybourn and North Orleans Street in Chicago and East Dundee Road in Palatine as well as the distribution facility to survey and secure the bowls to prevent possible exposure to employees and customers. Two contaminated bowls were identified at the North Clybourn store, while no contaminated items were found at the other two retail stores. Preliminary survey results at the distribution facility indicated that several items were contaminated. All contaminated items are being isolated.

The inspectors used portable radiation measurement instrumentation. The highest measurement identified was 50 microrem per hour on contact with the surface of the pet bowls. As a reference of the relative risk of these items, a person who holds one of the bowls against their chest for 160 hours, roughly 6 1/2 days, would receive a dose equivalent to a single chest X-ray.

Petco has indicated that all bowls have been removed from store shelves at the remaining eight stores and have been isolated so that they pose no risk to customers or store employees. Agency inspectors also will conduct inspections at those stores.

"These bowls do not pose an immediate health risk, but we always want to prevent unnecessary exposure to radiation," said Jonathon Monken, IEMA director. "We will continue to work closely with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and store officials until we confirm that all items have been located and secured."

Customers who believe they may have purchased a bowl from any of the listed Petco stores should contact the store for more information.

[Text from Illinois Emergency Management Agency file received from the Illinois Office of Communication and Information]