Re: H-3

[Ruth Vandegrift <Ruth_Vandegrift@health.ohio.gov>]

     I am going to take a stab at your problem with the tygon tubing and 
     the fact that much of the H-3 is not getting to the detector.
     
     In the environmental sampling arena, media that is to be analyzed for 
     H-3 is collected in glass containers versus the use of polyethelene 
     containers.  The reason for this is that the H-3 isotope tends to 
     replace organic polymers in the plastic, resulting in loss of some of 
     the analyte to the plastic.  It is possible that you are experiencing 
     the same situation with the tygon tubing, where the isotope is 
     adhering to the tubing instead of going to the detector.
     
     As to why tygon was supplied with the detector....your guess is as 
     good as mine.
     
     R. Vandegrift
     rvandegr@health.ohio.gov


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: H-3
Author:  radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu at Internet
Date:    1/11/96 12:19 PM


I have a flow-through type ion chamber monitor with which to measure H-3. 
Supplied with the monitor is a "sniffing hose" made of tygon tubing. Based 
on recent wipe-test results, the tubing has obviously captured some of the 
H-3. It seems that much of the H-3 is never getting to the detector, 
rendering some monitoring data useless.
     
I have two questions: 1.) Why is tygon an H-3 collector? and 2.) What 
material could be used in place of the tygon and still provide the 
flexibility needed for use as a "sniffing hose?"
     
I also wonder why a tygon hose was supplied with the detector in the first 
place.
     
Thoughts and suggestions are very much appreciated.
     
Susan McElrath
     
Please respond directly to:
MCELRATHS@rscpo1.WILM.GE.COM