S-35 contamination

[Keith <WELCH@CEBAF.GOV>]

For what it's worth, my guess is that the reason the activity is so much less
today is that it was simply washed/worn off by the individual at home.  Is that
considered "normal" desquamation? I don't know.  As far as deconatminating it
goes, you might consider this.  Go straight to the volatile organics.  It
probably sounds like overkill, but I remember a case where there was a Na-24
contamination event in which the normal methods were ineffective, and the thing
that finally did the trick was (if I remember correctly) acetone.  Seems the
sodium binds so well with the natural fatty tissues and compounds on the skin
that the only way to remove it was use something that would strip the skin of
its oils and salts.  I'm not a chemist, but my guess is there is a similar
thing going on with the sulfer.
		

Keith Welch
welch@cebaf.gov