Re: Household radioactive materials?

[coltremb@rsvs.ulaval.ca (Colette Tremblay)]

I think some ceramic items (decorative plates, etc) can be radioactive. I
don't know if the radio-isotopes are in the clay or in the glaze materials.
I guess that the ocurrence of radioactive material in such items must vary
widely according to their origin.

>>I am going to be giving a presentation next week on radioactive materials
>>in the household.  Can people please give some examples of what can be found?
>
>Depends on the household.
>
>Mostly, I'd think of tritium/promethium watches, compasses and "procured"
>airplane nav devices, lantern mantles (thorium impregnated), and americium
>smoke detectors.
>
>This is, actually, the list of exempt sources in the Colorado Regulations.
>
>Then there's radon and progeny in the basement, and all the fallout on the
>tobacco leaves in cigarettes.  And the infamous K-40 in bananas.
>
I think some ceramic items (decorative plates, etc) can be radioactive. I
don't know if the radio-isotopes are in the clay or in the glaze materials.
I guess that the ocurrence of radioactive material in such items must vary
widely according to their origin.

Colette Tremblay
Recherches en sciences de la vie et de la santé
Pavillon Charles-Eugène-Marchand
Université Laval Québec QC
Canada  G1K 7P4
Tél: (418)656-2893
Fax: (418) 656-7176
Internet: coltremb@rsvs.ulaval.ca