Netflix’s new miniseries Radioactive Emergency revisits the 1987 Goiânia radiation accident, one of the most severe radiological incidents in Brazilian history. In this event, a medical radiotherapy device containing caesium-137 was left in an abandoned clinic, and when it was dismantled by two men, the radioactive material spread throughout the neighborhood, exposing hundreds of people. The series explores both the emergency response and the personal stories of those affected, highlighting the efforts of scientists, medical teams, and authorities during the crisis.

Directed by Fernando Coimbra with co-direction by Iberê Carvalho, Radioactive Emergency tracks the unfolding disaster and the coordinated response to contain contamination. It also brings attention to the families whose lives were disrupted, emphasizing the scale and complexity of managing urban radiation exposure.

The Abandoned Radiotherapy Machine That Started It All

The Goiânia accident began with a lapse in protocol. The Instituto Goiano de Radioterapia (IGR), a private clinic specializing in cancer treatment, relocated in 1985. In the process, a radiotherapy machine containing a capsule of caesium-137 was left behind in the old building. No government agency was notified, leaving the device accessible in a residential area. 

The machine’s design allowed safe treatment in a clinical setting, but it contained a highly radioactive capsule encased in lead and steel. This shielding ensured controlled use for patients, but once removed, the capsule’s gamma radiation posed a lethal risk. The caesium-137 capsule was compact, measuring approximately 51 millimeters in length and 48 millimeters in diameter, yet it contained enough radioactive material to cause serious injury or death.

The capsule held caesium chloride, a water-soluble compound with strong gamma radiation. Its design allowed precise movement within the radiotherapy machine to treat tumors safely, but outside the protective housing, even minimal contact could deliver a fatal dose. Investigators later traced the machine to a U.S. manufacturer, though the serial number was no longer verifiable. Despite its size, the capsule’s radioactive potential was immense, making it extremely hazardous for anyone who came in contact with it. 

Because the powder inside could spread easily, contamination could occur through dust, water, or physical contact with the capsule. This property would later accelerate the exposure of families and neighbors unaware of the danger.

Two Men and the Start of the Crisis

In September 1987, Roberto Santos Alves and Wagner Mota Pereira, two scrap collectors, entered the abandoned clinic in search of valuable metal. They dismantled parts of the radiotherapy device and moved it to Alves’ residence. Within days, both men began experiencing nausea, vomiting, and weakness—early signs of radiation sickness they initially attributed to food poisoning. 

At Alves’ home, the capsule was punctured, releasing a fine, glowing blue powder. Mistaking the substance for something harmless, Alves and others handled it freely. Portions of the machine were later sold to Devair Ferreira, a scrapyard owner, who displayed the luminescent material to family members and neighbors, unknowingly exposing them to radiation.

Contamination Spreads Through the Community

The powder quickly circulated across homes. Children played with it, and adults touched it or applied it to their skin. Symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, and fatigue appeared among exposed individuals but were often misdiagnosed as allergic reactions or foodborne illnesses. The water-soluble nature of caesium chloride meant contamination could travel across floors, furniture, and clothing, complicating containment efforts. 

One of the earliest victims was six-year-old Leide das Neves Ferreira, who ingested radioactive particles while playing. She received a fatal dose of radiation, and her mother, Lurdes Ferreira, also became gravely ill. Workers who had handled the machine, as well as Maria Gabriela Ferreira, who later brought contaminated pieces to the hospital, suffered severe radiation-related illnesses. In total, four people died from exposure.

Authorities Respond to the Radioactive Emergency

After hospital staff confirmed the material was radioactive, municipal, state, and federal authorities initiated emergency procedures. Screening operations reached over 130,000 residents using radiation detection instruments, identifying 250 individuals with measurable contamination either on their bodies or internally. Medical teams treated approximately twenty people with acute radiation sickness. The rapid mobilization underscored the need for coordinated emergency response and public awareness in cases involving radioactive materials in urban environments.

Cleaning a Contaminated City

Decontamination was extensive. Topsoil was removed from heavily affected areas, and several residences were demolished due to high radiation levels. Personal belongings were sorted: uncontaminated items were sealed, while radioactive objects were cleaned chemically or disposed of safely. Floors and surfaces were treated with chemical agents, including Prussian blue, to bind caesium particles, and victims who had ingested radioactive material received treatments to eliminate it from their bodies. 

Aerial surveys using radiometric instruments mapped remaining contamination and guided the clean-up, which remains one of the largest urban radiological remediation efforts in history.

Once the caesium-137 source was fully recovered, the Brazilian military secured the empty capsule. It is now housed at the Escola de Instrução Especializada in Rio de Janeiro as a cautionary artifact, symbolizing the risks of unsecured radioactive materials and the lessons learned from the Goiânia accident.