Re: Uranyl Acetate

["FS BUSBY BRUCE A" <BUSBBRUC@fs.isu.edu>]

Hi all,

    Uranyl compounds.... don't get me started.  We had a old Nuc
chemist who use lots of it, and retired.  We found his stash a little 
while ago.  We just "concrete" solidified it and are shipping it to 
US Ecology for disposal.  One lesson... we had about 2 kilos of 
Uranium compounds sitting around for two years, while we tried to 
figure out what to do with it.  About 20 minutes after the last of 
the compounds were mixed in to the concrete, one of our physics 
professors asked if we had any Uranium nitrate sitting around that he 
could use.  HA.  Sure, if you don't mind it in a large heavy 
container.  Anyway, before you get rid of anything like that, it 
is good to ask around.

As far as safe use, common (good) chemical lab 
safety is normally satisfactory for safe handling of U-compounds.  
The U-acetate that we had was listed at 2 mCi/g and was old enough 
to have some good daughter activity. The bad news is the 
Inhalation ALI (U-238) is low (1 uCi for D, 0.8 uCi for W, 0.04 uCi 
for Y) and in powder form can be made airborne easily if poured or 
dropped.  The good news is it is easly to find.  

*wave to OSU folks*

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Bruce Busby
Idaho State University
Radiation Safety Office

All opinions are mine,
so take them with 
0.064799 grams of NaCl   

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