Re: Radioactive material in film developer

[Chris Alston <alstonc@odrge.odr.georgetown.edu>]

Ed

Potassium-40 (Emax beta = 1.3 MeV, gamma = 1.46 MeV, t1/2 = 1.3E9 y) has a
elemental spA of ~800 pCi g^-1. Looks like you've found another sort of
technologically-enhanced, naturally-occurring radioactive material (TENORM)!!
I shall not venture an opinion as to the proper disposition of it, except
to note that, to my knowledge, no one treats potassium hydroxide as if it
were radioactive.

Congratulations(?) and luck to you
cja


At 09:37 PM 7/11/00 -0500, you wrote:
>         Does anyone know what in industrial X-ray developer is radioactive?
>
>         We inadvertantly allowed a 5-gallon tank of a standard industrial 
>X-ray film
>developer to evaporate to dryness.  Since the location was adjacent to an 
>area in which there may be wipable aloha-active material, we checked the 
>residue (a tan-colored, granular material) for activity prior to disposal,  
>No alpha, but significant beta-gamma, on the order of 35 pCi/gm (1.3 Bq/gm).
>           The developer is received as several liquids, which are mixed and 
>diluted with water for use.  We mixed a new batch using new materials from 
>sealed bottles (no chance of contaminating these), evaporated a sample to 
>dryness. 
>Essentially the same activity found as above.
>           The manufacturer states that the developer containes the
following:
>                   Part A:  potassium hydroxide and hydroquinone
>                   Part B:  acetic acid and 1-phenyl3pyrazolidinone
>                   Part C:  glutaraldehyde
>
>            Can anyone tell me what I'm detecting, and/or a legal and proper 
>way to dispose of it?
>
>        Thanks,
>           Ed Janzow
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