RE: let's talk about rad protection, shall we?

["Mays, Mark" <maysm@wrigem.wpafb.af.mil>]

The bubble levels we know of are radium.
 ----------
From: root
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: let's talk about rad protection, shall we?
Date:  7 December 1995 16:06

Okay folks, let's cut down the chatter that isn't related to rad
protection, shall we?  I have only one comment to make -- radiation
protection professionals should be able to determine what types of
discussion are of interest to other radiation protection professionals.
End of discussion.

Now, completely changing the subject...

The other day, my compatriot and I were surveying a long defunct electron
accelerator site.  In a cabinet labeled "Surveying Equipment" (this was
land surveying equipment, not rad surveying equipment), we discovered a
dome-shaped, metal container that was giving our GM + pancake probe an
interesting workout.

Our best guess is that this is some optical alignment device of some sort. 

It is made up of optics, prisms, interesting gears, and "bubble" levels.
Upon disassembling it, we discovered that the radioactivity of the
instrument originated from three of the four bubble levels (the three hot
level were fairly close to each other on the instrument).  One of the three 

hot levels had broken and was found to have removable contamination,
presumably from the liquid that had been in the level.

One of the hot levels was analyzed with an MCA and identified as having
U-238 and Na-22.

So folks, what's the story?  Were these accelerator activated or was the
Na-22 there from the manufacturing process?  Is the U-238 from the glass?
What is commonly used in the liquid in these levels?



 --
 Melissa Woo, Health Physicist                       | m-woo@uiuc.edu
 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign          | office 1.217.244.7233
 DEHS, MC-225, 101 S. Gregory St., Urbana, IL  61801 | fax    1.217.244.6594
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