Re: H-3 Signs

[Dave Derenzo <dave@uic.edu>]

Paul,

Consider the life saving purpose of the sign, i.e., to guide the way out of 
a darkened building in an emergency situation.  To me $8,000 is a small 
price to pay compared with the loss of life or serious injury that could 
result if signs were not there.  Yes, electrically powered signs would be 
less costly to dispose of, but would also require power and maintenance for 
the entire lifetime of the sign.

One consideration for a hotel with 400 - 600 signs would be if they were 
involved in a fire.  Any H-3 gas released would combine with oxygen (burn) 
and form tritiated water which would vaporize from the heat.  At 20 Ci per 
sign, this could lead to a lot of H-3 contamination.  Consider the 
potential consequences and cost of cleanup for that scenario.

Dave

At 12:12 PM 03/24/2000 -0600, you wrote:
>By the way. We talk about the Ci/sign and often forget that some
>locations have many signs. About two years ago I was in a hotel in
>southern California that had between 400 and 600 tritium exit signs.
>I wondered what will happen to these at the end of their useful life.
>$8,000 or more to return these may seem steep to have them disposed.
>
>Paul Lavely <lavelyp@uclink4.berkeley.edu>
>
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Dave Derenzo, RSO (dave@uic.edu)
UIC Radiation Safety Section, M/C 932
Phones: Voice (312) 996-1177  Fax: (312) 996-8776

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