[ RadSafe ] Radon solubility in fat: Re: Query on radium ball ; radon decay

Wed Aug 22 16:56:56 CDT 2012

Dear Mr David Lawrence,

I am happy that we discussed radon, its behavior and properties If my memory is correct, Professor R D Evans wrote an exhaustive article on radon and its decay products in the Health Physics in the mid 90s. I do not know whether we can call the radon decay series without radium as Bateman equation! Or is it just for any decay series! 

During my formative years, we were expected to remember radium and thorium series.There were instances (I believe it was happening) in which one can lose promotion if one cannot remember the series with all its nuances. An instance in point is the build up of decay products on a filter when the decay products are in equilibrium.

Coming back to Radium balls, I have received a few replies. The radiation hazard from them may be trivial. Still, I do not understand what do they mean by radium mineral/ore. I believe uses of radioactive material as advertised belong to the "frivolous" category!

regards,
Parthasarathy  

________________________________
 From: Dlawrencenewyork <dlawrencenewyork at aol.com>
To: "SAFarber at optonline.net" <SAFarber at optonline.net> 
Cc: "radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu" <radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu> 
Sent: Wednesday, 22 August 2012, 15:31
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Radon solubility in fat: Re: Query on radium ball

Stewart,
Ah, I stand corrected. It is also well known to be somewhat soluble in water. However it is inert, with a 3.8 day half life (it is Rn222) and with a biological half life of ~45 minutes and 90% elimination in 100. Being newly emanated it would have an equilibrium ratio of nil and one could assume the Working Levels to be zero with no associated electrostatically charged progeny. Exposure from Rn-222 is considered to be negligible and it by itself is not a considered a health hazard. The RDPs are quite another story.

Therefor at the levels that could be assumed present from these balls, and though my post was poorly worded, I still find it humorous. 

Best Regards,
David Lawrence
646-246-3465

On Aug 22, 2012, at 1:51 PM, Stewart Farber <SAFarber at optonline.net> wrote:

> Hi all,
> A correction to one point in the  post below. Actually radon is highly fat soluble vs. the thought expressed below:
> 
> See:
> http://enhs.umn.edu/hazards/hazardssite/radon/radondistrib.html
> 
> "Since radon is highly fat soluble and actively transported through the body on the coattails of lymphocytes, common organs of destinations are the liver (5%), kidney (1.6%), lungs (90% - primarily for elimination), and other adipose tissue stores. Once the dissolved gas decays and becomes charged, it can bind and decay further within various body tissues, and emit harmful, mutagenic and cytotoxic, alpha particles."
> 
> 
> Stewart Farber
> 
> ================
> 
> On Wed, 22 Aug 2012 12:26:57 -0400, <dlawrencenewyork at aol.com> wrote:
> 
>> I would hazard to guess that it also contains all of the other natural progeny of the Uranium decay series which at 30% of 490 Bq/kg those concentrations are not significant. The 'Radium' bearing minerals pictured appear to be some form of metamorphic rock and exempt source material. There are many natural products with activities of 13 pCi/g - or 4.3 pCi/g of U-nat (just about everywhere is Kerala). I'm not sure there is anything other than dubious health claims here which have obviously been poorly translated. My favorite is the fat solubility of the emanation Rn-222 which of course is inert. I could imagine many porcelain bath tub glazes with similar activities.
>> 
>> 
>> Best Regards,
>> David
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: parthasarathy k s <ksparth at yahoo.co.uk>
>> To: The International Radiation Protection( Health Physics) Mailing List <radsafe at agni.phys.iit.edu>
>> Cc: radsafe <radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu>
>> Sent: Tue, Aug 21, 2012 9:39 pm
>> Subject: [ RadSafe ] Query on radium ball
>> 
>> 
>> Radsafers,
>> 
>> I was  under the impression that use of radium has been stopped completely. I
>> received a query regarding the safety of a product, made in China. The company
>> is cashing on benefits perceived by the user.
>> 
>> Details about the radium ball is available at the following URL:
>> 
>> http://www.root-cn.com/Radium-Bath-Ball.html
>> 
>> 
>> It appears that the ball contains radium containing mineral at specific activity
>> of 490Bq/kg.
>> 
>> Can any one conversant with this product advise me on the "health physics" of
>> it?
>> 
>> Regards
>> Parthasarathy
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> 
> 
> -- 
> Stewart Farber, MS Public Health
> Farber Medical Solutions, LLC
> Bridgeport, CT 06604
> 
> 203-441-8433
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