Re: static eliminator bars Ra-226 was used

["Philip Egidi" <phil.egidi@state.co.us>]

RADSTERS,

Not only do Ra-226 static eliminators exist, we just found one in Colorado last week at a scrap recycling facility.  The portal monitors went off when the load was brought on-site.  It measured about 45 mR/h (0.45 mSv/h for you SI-types) at contact with an ion chamber.  



It is marked "Ionotron" and is certainly quite old.  It appears it was made by the Radium Corporation of America.  We are still doing the detective work to figure out how old, but from the type of machine it was attached to, I would guess it is pre-WWII.



We have a jpg picture file of it that can be sent on request.  The few device sheets that are out that we can find for these old eliminators state that they are either Po-210 or Am-21.  We collected smears from the adjoining mechanisms and the gamma spec results clearly identify radium and progeny.  



Phil Egidi

Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment

phil.egidi@state.co.us 

303-692-3083









>>> "Franz Schoenhofer" <franz.schoenhofer@CHELLO.AT> 05/28/02 04:42PM >>>



-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----

Von: GELSG@AOL.COM <GELSG@AOL.COM>

An: radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu <radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu>

Datum: Dienstag, 28. Mai 2002 17:54

Betreff: static eliminator bars





>Radsafers:

>

>I am hoping that someone on the list can refer me to a site with

information on static eliminator bars containing radium-226.  I am

interested in typical activities encountered, materials used in

construction, and typical dimensions.  An off-list reply would be

appreciated.  Thanks in advance,

>

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I do not know of any static eliminator bars containing radium-226. If they

exist, they must be from extremely old times. I think to remember that some

radionuclides were used for static elimination, but sure not Ra-226.

Contemporary static eliminators use other radionuclides.



I would appreciate any information to be sent either to the list or to me in

copy.



Franz









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