Re: Tritium consumer sources

[SBD <sbd@co.disp.mindef.nl>]

Could anybody explain to me why the existence of consumer goods with radium
paint is constantly ignored by many (inter)national authorities?

Although production is no longer allowed, it is still present on a large scale.
Many WWII musea are loaded with instruments containing "closed" radium sources
(and open sources too). For private collections, memorial flights etc. it is the
same.

To my surprise, even the new NUREG-1717 draft on consumer goods (very
interesting and usefull stuff, thanks!) ignores these products. My opinion is,
that either these instruments need to be mentioned too, however impleasant their
continuing presence may be, or extensive action has to be taken to get rid of
them. Ignoring them is too easy and poses an unnecessary risk to many people who
often do not know that their precious historical items (of which the light
production has gone for decades, and most often do not contain any warning
signs) are radioactive.

By the way, if any of you have reports on dealing with radium (paint) (or other
nuclides) in historical items, please send me a copy: we are in the middle of a
process to manage radiation risks in military musea, and we would like to learn
from the experience of colleagues elsewhere.

mrs. ing. Jetty Middelkoop
Radiological Protectoin Service
(stralingsbeschermingsdienst, SBD)
Netherlands Ministry of Defence
tel. (0031)-346-217837
fax (0031)-346-217848
e-mail sbd@co.disp.mindef.nl



tom_dixie wrote: John,

> There are many devices over the years which were manufactured with tritium as
> an illumination component after radium was no longer used.



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