Re: H-3 Exit Signs

[jatalbq@ix.netcom.com (Joseph A Tompkins )]

You wrote: 
>
>Can you confirm that this project was NOT due to "radiological" 
concerns?
> 
>> Over the last two and half years I have been involved in a program 
to 
>> remove tritium powered radioluminescent airfield lighting units from 

>> the State of Alaska.  These units totaled over a quarter of a mega 
>> curie of activity and are very similar in design to exit signs. 
>> 
>> We had 12 - 15 units that had been broken, with releases ranging 
from 
>> 50 - 350 curies of activity.  The gase from a broken tube dissipates 

>> very rapidly and unless you are in a small sealed room with few 
>> airchanges there is little risk.  This situation changes if the 
units 
>> casing has lost integrity.  The phosphor powder from these tubes is 
>> highly contaminated with tritium and provides a ready path for 
>> inhalation or ingestion.  Our total dose from handling these large 
>> broken units was less than ten mRem CEDE.
>Thanks.
>
>Regards, Jim Muckerheide
>jmuckerheide@delphi.com
>