Re[2]: Van de Graaff decon

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

     Good luck!  The Navy donated a VDG to a private military college.  
     Much to their dismay it too was grossly contaminated with tritium.  
     The physics lab where the parts were being stored also became 
     contaminated with tritium.  In fact, floors, bench tops, and every
     thing else was likewise contaminated.  Tritium is highly mobile and 
     can be one place today and not so tomorrow.  
     
     I don't know the physical state of your VDG.  Cleaning parts and 
     removing to a clean environment is the best approach.  Otherwise, the 
     cleaning effort is best in as few sessions as possible.  If not, it 
     WILL migrate.  I found this out the hard way, while deconning an 
     accelerator facility contaminated with tritium throughout the buliding 
     just from a small source of tritium that happened to be leaking and 
     left there over the weekend.  In other words, don't be surprised if 
     you have to clean more than just the VDG!
     
     If my memory serves me right, we used a variety of cleaning agents.  
     For superficial coatings of tritium on surfaces, we used acetone or 
     any self-respecting cleaner.  Caution must be taken to not use 
     cleaners with chelating agents to the extent that you end up with 
     greater than 8% by weight in waste generated (Barnwell criterion).
     If you have to decon tritium in porous material (concrete), let me 
     know.  I had to do that too!
     
     robert_owen@health.ohio.gov


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re: Van de Graaff decon
Author:  radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu at Internet
Date:    2/22/96 6:11 PM


Wow! Must be the season for VDG decommissioning. We are as well cleaning 
up a VDG contaminated with H3. Any suggestions would be helpful.
     
Thanks in advance.
     
Donald P. Mercado, O/47-20, B/101      PROFS Nickname: DMERCADO 
Radiation Safety Officer        Internet: Don@LMSC.Lockheed.com 
Lockheed Martin Missiles & Space            Tel. (408) 742-0759 
Sunnyvale, Ca 94089                         Fax. (408) 742-0611
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 From: John Harvey <harveyj@mcmail.CIS.McMaster.CA>
 To: Multiple recipients of list <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu> 
 Subject: Re: Van de Graaff decon
 X-Listserver-Version: 6.0 -- UNIX ListServer by Anastasios Kotsikonas 
 X-Comment:  Radiation Safety Distribution List
     
 We are also in the same position of decommissioning a VDG contaminated 
 with tritium. We would also appreciate the benefit of the advice from 
 Radsafe. Please communicate with John Harvey at the address below or with 
 Jim Stark at starkj@mcmail.cis.mcmaster.ca
 Thanks
 John
     
     
 ======================================================================= 
 John Harvey                            | McMaster University
 Senior Health Physicist                | NRB-110
 (905) 525-9140 ext 24226               | 1280 Main St. W. 
 harveyj@mcmail.cis.mcmaster.ca         | Hamilton, Ont Canada L8S 4K1
     
 On Thu, 22 Feb 1996 Mark=Linsley%occsafe%sep@sep2.sep.bnl.gov wrote:
     
 >
 > We may, or may not, be getting into a project involving the
 > decontamination/decommisioning/dismemberment of a Van de Graaff generator. 
 > The unit is known to be contaminated with significant levels of tritium.
 > If you have ever been involved in a similar project and happen to have some 
 > stories to share, I would be very interested in hearing from you.
 > Specifically, if you have any advice on unexpected problems you encountered, 
 > contamination where you didn't expect it or lessons learned. In general,
 > things you wish you knew before you started! 
 >
 > All suggestions or stories welcome and appreciated. 
 >
 > Mark Linsley
 > Brookhaven National Laboratory
 > phone: 516-344-3556
 > email: linsley@bnl.gov
 >
 >