[ RadSafe ] Orphan Radioactive Materials

Fri Feb 9 10:02:30 CST 2007

Posted on behalf of Al Conklin (al.conklin at doh.wa.gov),

This is a repost of a message that was send to RadSafe earlier. However,
this post now contains the images that were filtered out by the server
since they were in jpg-format.

Please send any reply to this message directly to Al Conklin using the
above mentioned e-mail address. A cc to RadSafe is much appreciated.

Attached to this message there are in total 6 pdf-files containing the
pictures as mentioned in the text below.

Begin text of message from Al Conklin ----------------------------------

Our Radioactive Materials inspectors found some items at a local metal
recycling facility that they would like help with identifying. If anyone
could offer some suggestions, please contact me offline, and I'll
forward it to them. Thanks for the help.

Their request:

Does anyone have any ideas where large layers of asbestos & pressboard &
heavy metal & acoustical tiles would be sandwiched together, that would
have radioactive sources inside the layers?

These are photos of some unknown orphan RAM sources that recently
appeared at a local metal recycling facility.  Any help in identifying
these sources, or in identifying where these building materials could be
used is appreciated.

~ black coiled plastic wire? (at close to surface (not contact) on
Eberline RO-2, ~ 80 millirem / hr beta window open, ~ 40 millirem / hr
beta window closed, background ~ / < 0.2 millirem / hr); activity ~ 40
microcuries radium-226.

~ large piece of red/brown wood & insulation? board, source inaccessible
inside at approximately center (at close to surface (not contact) on
Eberline RO-2, ~ 0.4 millirem / hr beta window open, ~ 0.2 millirem / hr
beta window closed, background ~ / < 0.2 millirem / hr); activity ~ 5
microcuries radium-226.

~ large folded steel plate & sieve? screen, source inaccessible in plate
folds (at close to surface (not contact) on Eberline RO-2, ~ 0.6
millirem / hr beta window open, < 0.4 millirem / hr beta window closed,
background ~ / < 0.2 millirem / hr); activity ~ 1 microcurie radium-226.

~ hook & 4 markers & small metal cylinder all on one cable (at close to
surface (not contact) on Eberline RO-2, ~ 3 millirem / hr beta window
open, ~ 0.6 millirem / hr beta window closed, background ~ / < 0.2
millirem / hr); activity ~ 4 microcuries radium-226.

<<orphans f.pdf>> <<orphans a.pdf>> <<orphans b.pdf>> <<orphans c.pdf>>
<<orphans d.pdf>> <<orphans e.pdf>> 

Also, we found this on the Radsafe web site.  Does this ring any bells
re possible use for radium?

>Cobalt-60 is used as a wear detector in blast furnace applications.
Small Co-60 sources are embeded in the firebrick furnace lining at a
known distance from the hotface. These are readily detectable from the
outside of the furnace. When the liner has worn to a certain point the
source disappears into the melt and is no longer detectable from the
outside. A typical furnace might have 50 sources in the 1-5 mCi range
embeded at various distances from the hotface, and a quick survey will
tell you whether they're still in place or not. This technology has been
used since the isotope became available for industrial applications, at
least since the '50s.

>   
> 
http://lists.radlab.nl/pipermail/radsafe/2006-June/003406.html

Any help is appreciated.  Thanks for your time.

End text of message from Al Conklin ------------------------------------

Marcel Schouwenburg
Head / Lecturer Training Centre Delft, Health Physicist, expert level 2
RadSafe Moderator & Listowner
National Centre for Radiation Protection (Dutch abbr. NCSV)

Faculty of Applied Sciences / Reactor Institute Delft
Delft University of Technology
Mekelweg 15
NL - 2629 JB  DELFT
The Netherlands
Phone +31 (0)15 27 86575
Fax     +31 (0)15 27 81717
email   m.schouwenburg at tudelft.nl

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