Re: mercury

[John Jacobus <crispy_bird@YAHOO.COM>]

If you are interesting the uses and potential exposes

to mercury, check this out:



"The LMT (Liquid Mirror Telescope) uses a dish of

liquid mercury. If it works, "classical telescopes

with solid mirrors will go the way of the great

refractors that were replaced with reflecting

telescopes," said physicist Ermanno Borra.



http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/astronomy/liquid_mirror_000924.html



Sorry for this not being related to visible light

rather than ionizing radiation.



--- Susan Gawarecki <loc@icx.net> wrote:

> Joseph R. Preisig wrote:

> 

> >I hope the

> >mercury will be contained in some sort of closed

> loop system.  Anyone have

> >an inkling of the environmental effects of such a

> system??? 

> >

> 

> I've looked at the design of the target.  Indeed the

> mercury will 

> circulate in a closed loop, with sufficient quantity

> so it can be 

> physically cooled down.  Once the Spallation Neutron

> Source goes online, 

> any maintenance in the target area will be done

> robotically.  That 

> mercury will have quite a mix of radionuclides in

> it, and it will be 

> hot!   Upon decomissioning of the SNS, the mercury

> target will be left 

> in place for about 50 years to let the short

> half-life isotopes to decay 

> away.

> 

> The community is generally supportive of the SNS. 

> Members of the LOC's 

> Citizens' Advisory Panel would like to see plans for

> handling the 

> generated radioactive waste and for monitoring of

> areas of potential 

> contamination.  There will be some activation

> products in the soils 

> beneath the facility, and we would like to ensure

> that these don't 

> migrate into groundwater, or at least will be

> detected if they do.

> 

> Building SNS on a karst (cave-forming limestone)

> ridge was perhaps not 

> the smartest job of siting a major research facility

> (stabilizing the 

> source building into bedrock was "challenging" and

> required more 

> concrete than anticipated).  However, there is a

> great view from the site.

> 

> Susan Gawarecki

> Executive Director,

> Oak Ridge Reservation Local Oversight Committee

> 

>

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=====

+++++++++++++++++++

""A fanatic is one who cannot change his mind and won't change the subject."  Winston Churchill



-- John

John Jacobus, MS

Certified Health Physicist

e-mail:  crispy_bird@yahoo.com



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