Re: Niagara Falls Electromet

[BLHamrick@AOL.COM]

In a message dated 6/6/2003 12:05:28 PM Pacific Standard Time, frantaj@AECL.CA writes:

"...Ferro Electronics, which is next door to Niagara University, currently manufactures electronic instruments using radioactive zirconium sand of uranium content sufficient to be refined into bomb-grade material."  [this seems to imply that nat. U consists of U-235 ! ...wonder what all those enrichment plant were for.]

Actually, I think it's just saying that the U content in the zirconium sand is above 0.05% by weight uranium.  The question should be, "does that pose any significant threat?"  For comparison, one can examine NUREG 1717, "Systematic Radiological Assessment of Exemptions for Source and Byproduct Materials," which, among other things assesses various potential doses and dose pathways for those zircon sands below 0.05% by weight uranium (i.e., those exempt under the AEA and implementing regulations), and other exempt items containing up to 10% uranium (e.g., glassware).  The document is available online in the NRC's "Reading Room," reached via www.nrc.gov, but it is rather large, so be prepared.  It's quite interesting, and examines all the exemptions from uranium in dental products to glazed ceramic tableware to thorium in optical lenses.  It's really a matter of where it is relative to where humans are and what they are doing with it.

Barbara