Radioactive Tissue Holders Removed From Stores

Radioactive metal box tissue holders have been pulled from the shelves of several Bed, Bath and Beyond stores, including the Huntington Station site.

Both state health officials and the company said none of the 12 holders containing low levels of cobalt-60 radioactive material holders were distributed to buyers at any of the four New York State stores that had stocked them. However, the product has been available on Bed, Bath and Beyond’s website but has since been removed from the web. The product is Double Ridge Boutique model, model number (DR9M).

State Health Commissioner Nirav R. Shah said there are no reports of prolonged exposure or illness resulting from contact with the products.

The health department said "Cobalt-60 is a man-made product that utilizes the element cobalt. It has many uses, including sterilizing medical equipment and is a source for leveling devices and thickness gauges used during the production of metal products. It has been used many years in radiation therapy for
cancer patients. The level of radiation exposure from holding this product against body for one hour would be equivalent to a chest X-ray."

On Jan.10, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) notified Bed, Bath and Beyond and state health officials that the shipment of metal box tissue holders was found to contain the radioactive material.

The company said, "Out of an abundance of caution, we have pulled the product off of our sales floor and removed it from our website." About 200 of its 1,000 stores in the United States and Canada had carried the item.

The product was also carried by the Westbury Bed, Bath and Beyond.

Customers who have purchased the device are advised to take it to the nearest Bed, Bath & Beyond store for a full refund. Customers can call 1-800-462-3966 for more information.

“State Health Department and other state agencies are working closely with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Bed, Bath and Beyond, and local health officials to ensure consumers are safe,” Shah said.