RE: Radioactive vinegar bottle ?!?!

["Tony Harrison" <Tony.Harrison@state.co.us>]

Some ores in Colorado and New Mexico have assayed as much as 20% U and

5% thorium.  Ores from other countries have assayed even higher. 

Specimens of such ores owned by collectors may be subject to regulation,

but I've never heard of regulatory agencies taking any action, or even

interest in them.



I recently took a microR meter to the Denver Gem and Mineral show

http://www.denvermineralshow.com/

and found one vendor from France with several flats of really beautiful

specimens from some mine in the Congo.  Readings varied from 0.2 to >5

mR per hour depending on where I put the meter.  He said he sets off

alarms everywhere he goes, but when he explains what the minerals are,

the powers that be send him on his way.  Customs and import/export

authorities are interested in the dollar value of the goods, but,

according to him, licensing of radioactive material isn't an issue.



My opinions, based on limited experience only.



Tony Harrison, MSPH

Colorado Dept. of Public Health & Environment

Laboratory and Radiation Services Division

(303)692-3046

tony.harrison@state.co.us





>>> "Jacobus, John (OD/ORS)" <jacobusj@ors.od.nih.gov> 09/19/02 09:54AM

>>>

Bill,

Thanks.  I guess the next question is, are natural ores greater than

0.05%

uranium?  By the way, according to the "Handbook of Chemistry and

Physics,"

glass with concentrations of 1% U dating back to 79 AD were found near

Naples, Italy.



-- John 

John Jacobus, MS

Certified Health Physicist 

3050 Traymore Lane

Bowie, MD  20715-2024



E-mail:  jenday1@email.msn.com (H)      



-----Original Message-----

From: William V Lipton [mailto:liptonw@dteenergy.com] 

Sent: Thursday, September 19, 2002 11:35 AM

To: Jacobus, John (OD/ORS)

Cc: 'Richard F. Orthen'; Marty.Bourquin@GRACE.COM;

radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu 

Subject: Re: Radioactive vinegar bottle ?!?!





10 CFR 40.4 defines "source material" as "...(2) ores which contain by

weight

one-twentieth of one percent (0.05%) or more of:  (i) uranium..." 

Thus, at

some

point in the processing of uranium ore, the natural uranium comes under

NRC

regulation.

. . .

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