Re: xenon behavior

["Wesley M. Dunn" <WDUNN@brc1.tdh.state.tx.us>]

Unless you are planning on sealing the room for a long time, normal
air currents will keep the air mixed.  Temperature gradients are much
more important than atomic weight of noble gases.

Wes

(this question also always comes up with regards to Argon...the
easiest way to explain it is to ask: 1) what is air made up of?; and
2) how come you can breath way down here at the bottom of the
atmosphere?)

> Date:          Thu, 2 Nov 95 17:26:59 -0600
> Reply-to:      radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu
> From:          LEIDHOLDT.EDWIN@FORUM.VA.GOV
> To:            Multiple recipients of list <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
> Subject:       xenon behavior

> I have a question regarding the behaviour of xenon gas in a room,
> specifically Xe-133, which is used for lung ventilation studies in nuclear
> medicine.  Some people claim that it "sinks" in a room so that the xenon
> concentration is higher toward the floor; other people say that it remains
> at approximately a uniform concentration throughout the room.  This is an
> issue regarding the placement of exhaust ducts in a room.  Does anyone
> know whether the xenon concentration is markedly higher toward the floor?
> I will be grateful for any help with this issue.
> Ed Leidholdt
> US Department of Veterans Affairs
> San Francisco
> Leidholdt.Edwin@FORUM.VA.GOV
> 415-744-6243
>
*********************************************************************
Wesley M. Dunn, C.H.P., Administrator      512-834-6688
Licensing Branch                           512-834-6690 (fax)
(Texas) Bureau of Radiation Control        wdunn@brc1.tdh.state.tx.us
*********************************************************************