[ RadSafe ] Uranium grinding wheels

[Brennan, Mike (DOH)]

I would think that the issue here is with breathing the dust, and while I agree with Franz about the radioactive isotopes that are likely in the dust, I am skeptical as to whether they are likely to be the biggest health risk.  It is entirely possible that silica and/or asbestoses are in the grinding wheel, and there are bound to be fine particles of whatever is being ground.  None of these go well with lung tissue.  

The US Navy some time ago instituted dust control procedures for health protection reasons (and there was a lot of complaining by the "old hands").  They found that such procedures actually saved a lot of money in decreasing cleanup time and cost, and preventing damage to equipment from the dust.  Doing things right often costs less in the long run than doing them without worrying about the consequences. 

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl] On Behalf Of Franz Schönhofer
Sent: Wednesday, June 10, 2009 5:09 AM
To: neildm at id.doe.gov; radsafe at radlab.nl
Subject: AW: [ RadSafe ] Uranium grinding wheels

Dave,

There is not the slightest doubt that grinding wheels contain uranium, thorium, K-40 and decay products. Your body as well as mine and foodstuff contains all these long-lived radionuclides and additionally shorter lived ones like C-14 and tritium, not to talk about more exotic ones - of natural origin. 

Abrasives may contain naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM), depending on their origin. Best known are the zirconium containing sands.
Those compounds are mostly used because they are very hard, very resistant to mechanical wear, and last extremely long before having to be replaced. 

You do not specify what "HSS" means, further I miss a description of what substances are ground - dry or wet operation. In the latter case the air borne particles would really play no role. In the first case: Do you eat grinding wheels dust?

Best regards,

Franz

Franz Schoenhofer, PhD
MinRat i.R.
Habicherg. 31/7
A-1160 Wien/Vienna
AUSTRIA


-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl] Im Auftrag von neildm at id.doe.gov
Gesendet: Dienstag, 09. Juni 2009 23:51
An: radsafe at radlab.nl
Betreff: [ RadSafe ] Uranium grinding wheels

There is an HSS bulletin out about grinding wheels containing uranium potentially causing surface contamination and/or airborne particles.

I had never heard of this, nor can I find any reference to uranium containing abrasives on the internet.  Undoubtedly, it is present as a trace material, but this would not seem to me to be of any concern at all.

Does anyone have better information? 

Thank you,
Dave Neil

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