Re[2]: Arizona incident

[Robert Owen <Robert_Owen@health.ohio.gov>]

     Tritium was not only found in fluids, but also on the outer surfaces 
     of can goods and other areas of the school.  This clearly wasn't a 
     "ground water" issue.  I do not recall the levels involved, but the 
     entire incident was sufficient to cause the NRC to move into Arizona 
     to address the issue directly in lieu of the Agreement State Radiation 
     Control Program doing so.
     
     robert_owen@health.ohio.gov


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re: Arizona incident
Author:  radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu at Internet
Date:    2/13/96 5:03 PM


  There was an incident of tritium contamination in Arizona of 
approximately the type that was mentioned in Gary's post.  I have 
no first hand knowledge of it but I do remember hearing the 
radiochemists at EPA in Las Vegas talk about it a few years after 
the event. I think they detected elevated levels of tritium in 
a cake from a school near the factory that was using tritium. But to 
put things in proper perspective, tritium is also detectable in two 
well known mineral waters, Evian and Perrier.  The level is about
40 to 60 pCi per liter, which is typical of most surface water. 
     
                            Robert Holloway
                            Nevada Technical Associates
                            http://www.ntanet.net/
                            702-564-2798