Th in welding rods

["Jeffrey A. Leavey" <certhp@vnet.IBM.COM>]

Ted de Castro writes:
>Considering the pervasiveness of Thorium in manual arc rods
>and the number of welders who HAVE been monitored in shipyards
>and reactor facilities - I would expect the problem to have
>surfaced if there was a problem.

Wouldn't you have to LOOKING for Th in the first place. If a
bioassay is doing gross beta/gamma only then you miss any
alpha emitters. I'm not a power reactor HP so I can't say
whether a routine alpha urine count is done (can a power
HP respond?), but it would seem probable that one would look
for what is expected: beta/gamma fission prods.

Could a whole body counter see Th in the amounts that might
be expected? Do analysis software include Th in it's library?

More info might be found in the IH arena since welding tends
to be more of an industrial than a rad hazard. Try searching
the IH journals too.

Jeff
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Jeffrey Leavey      certhp@vnet.ibm.com
X-ray Lithography Program - IBM Corp.
East Fishkill, NY  12533 - 914-892-4595
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