Re: DETECTION OF "SEALED SOURCES" IN LANDFILL AND RECYCLING PLANTS

[NSSIHOU@aol.com]

NSSI receives 2-3 calls each month from scrap yards, municipal land disposal 
sites, infectious waste incinerators, and hazardous waste treatment 
facilities and generators resulting from alarms due to radioactive material 
detected by portal monitors. In most cases the radionuclides are natural 
occurring materials but infectious waste incinerators often find I-131 or 
other medical isotopes including sealed sources. 

If your local area background is low, and the waste packages are small, you 
can assemble a very inexpensive system from a scintillation probe and alarm 
rate meter. The cost of deconning after burning a small Cs-137 well 
calibrator source will quickly exceed the cost of the instrumentation. 

Bob Gallagher
NSSI
713 641-0391