[ RadSafe ] Chino Airport to clean radium contamination

[John R Johnson]

Franz et al

I've never measure a tritium dial in a wrist watch, but experimented with
tritium on metal surfaces; see METABOLISM AND DOSIMETRY OF TRITIUM FROM
TRITIUM GAS CONTAMINATED SURFACES; J. R. Johnson, E. S. Lamothe, J. S.
Jackson, and R. G. C. McElroy; Fusion Technology, Vol. 14, (1988) 1147-1151.


My first experince with a radium dial in a watch was one I had as a
teenager. It was still "with me" when I entered graduate school at UBC. I
used it there as a check source to insure the detectors were working. I left
it there when I went to work at AECL's Chalk River Nuclear Laboratory. There
were many old dials at CRNL and, as far as I know, the radium did not leave
them. The radon progeny Pb-210 was often found but it was never clear what
the source.

John

-----Original Message-----
From: Franz Schönhofer [mailto:franz.schoenhofer at chello.at]
Sent: April 15, 2005 1:54 PM
To: 'John R Johnson'; 'Susan Gawarecki'; 'RADSAFE'
Cc: 'John R Johnson (TRIUMF)'
Subject: AW: [ RadSafe ] Chino Airport to clean radium contamination


John,

Since I have done an interesting research on the transfer of tritium
from wrist watches to the body I have looked after radium dials as well.


At the age of about 10 (I am 60 now) I received a wrist watch which (of
course) had radium dials and the hours were marked with radium "points".
I still have it, but it lacks after so many years most of the "points",
an effect which showed up already after a few years. It therefore is not
unlikely that the radium-paint might loosen from the dial.

But this would not be a problem, because these instruments had a glass
cover. The only problem being possible would be for persons repairing
these instruments. This has also been put forward to me by a person
dealing with the repair of instruments used in trains. It was found that
the working benches of these persons were contaminated by radium.
Unfortunately I was not able to finish this research, but it seemed to
me that the dose to the staff was below the ones acceptable for
radiation workers.

Concern is not at all on radon progeny - there is enough Rn-222 present
in all corners of this world. What makes the radon dials measurable is
the external gamma-dose rate, otherwise nobody would have been able to
state a "radiation protection problem".

I have read what was available on RADSAFE, there were no statements
about either radon progeny nor about gamma-dose rate nor what would
justify the clean up.

Anybody knows more about it, especially regarding my last comment?

Having visited the "grave-yard" for aeroplanes near Tucson a few times
(my younger boy was fascinated) I guess that there must be at least
several curies of Ra-226 there. If anyone wants to check the planes
their for Ra-226 I volunteer to participate for flight, food and
breakfast and I think that my son would hesitate to follow me.

Those radium dials had a great importance for the flight safety, whether
in war planes or in civilian aircraft. It was necessary to read the
instruments also during night and they were essential for survival or
safe landing. To demonize now this application would be totally wrong.


Best regards,

Franz

Franz Schoenhofer
PhD, MR iR
Habicherg. 31/7
A-1160 Vienna
AUSTRIA
phone -43-0699-1168-1319


> -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
> Von: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl] Im
> Auftrag von John R Johnson
> Gesendet: Donnerstag, 14. April 2005 23:48
> An: Susan Gawarecki; RADSAFE
> Cc: John R Johnson (TRIUMF)
> Betreff: RE: [ RadSafe ] Chino Airport to clean radium contamination
>
> Susan and other radsafers
>
> My experience with radium dials is that the radium stays on the dials.
I
> therefore assume that the contamination is radon progeny and need see
if
> that is stated in the bulliten.
>
> Has anyone reviewed it?
>
> John
>  _________________
> John R Johnson, Ph.D.
> *****
> President, IDIAS, Inc
> 4535 West 9-Th Ave
> Vancouver B. C.
> V6R 2E2
> (604) 222-9840
> idias at interchange.ubc.ca
> *****
> or most mornings
> Consultant in Radiation Protection
> TRIUMF
> 4004 Wesbrook Mall
> Vancouver B. C.
> V6R 2E2
> (604) 222-1047 Ext. 6610
> Fax: (604) 222-7309
> johnsjr at triumf.ca
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl]On
> Behalf Of Susan Gawarecki
> Sent: April 14, 2005 2:19 PM
> To: RADSAFE
> Subject: [ RadSafe ] Chino Airport to clean radium contamination
>
>
> Chino Airport to clean radium contamination
> Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
> http://www.dailybulletin.com/Stories/0,1413,203~21481~2812918,00.html#
> By Megan Blaney, Staff Writer
>
> Tuesday, April 12, 2005 - CHINO -- One man's hobby to collect vintage
> airplanes will cost San Bernardino County nearly $200,000 to clean up
> radioactive material - at least temporarily.
>
> The county will seek reimbursement after cleaning up the radium-226
> contamination at Chino Airport, where Jeff Pearson, owner of
> Preservation Aviation, Inc., stores vintage airplanes containing the
> material. The radioactive material was used on the predominantly
> American military aircraft to illuminate instrument dials. The
aircrafts
> date mostly from World War II through the 1960s.
>
> "In both hangars, there is a quantity of old aviation instruments that
> have the radium painted on the dial," San Bernardino County Director
of
> Airports Bill Ingraham said Monday.
>
> The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency determined the radioactive
> materials exceed the radiation limit and closed off the area March 10,
> deeming it unsafe for entry, Ingraham said.
>
> Twelve tenants of nearby hangars are still not allowed into the
building
> and cannot access their aircraft, airport Manager James Jenkins said
> Tuesday. Their aircraft is not contaminated, but the area is, he said.
>
> The county hired New World Environmental Inc. for $110,597 to clean up
> the site and will pay an additional $85,000 to dispose of the
> radioactive material in certified landfills. The Board of Supervisors
on
> Tuesday approved the funding, which comes from the Airports Capital
> Improvement Fund.
>
> "Since the county is owner of one building, and we own the land for
the
> other building, we are ultimately responsible," Ingraham said.
>
> The county intends to recover the cleanup cost from the tenant,
Ingraham
> said.
>
> The EPA's investigation of the Chino hangar stemmed from an
> investigation into a warehouse in North Hollywood where the same
company
> was ordered to cease operations because of radioactive contamination
> from the same source.
>
> The FBI served the search warrant to investigate the hangars on behalf
> of the EPA. New World Environmental Inc. is expected to start cleanup
> today.
>
> EPA Onscene Coordinator Robert Wise said he could not comment on the
> contamination as it was an ongoing investigation.
>
> Pearson could not be reached for comment.
>
>
>
>
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