Re: Re[2]: Radon Question from Occ-Med-Env -Reply

[David Abbott <abbott@washops.llnl.gov>]

At 04:49 PM 7/2/96 -0500, Schoenhofer wrote:
>At 14:44 1996-07-02 -0500, you wrote:
>>Consider what happens when actinon gas, Rn-219, gets inhaled through a HEPA
>>filtered air purifying respirator.  The 4 second half life makes things real
>>interesting.  Like 2,000,000 dpm alpha nosewipes.   The short half life
>>should cause a combination HEPA/charcoal filter to have some effectiveness.
>>Just a reminder, in the DOE world there are no air purifying respirators
>>approved for use against radioactive gases.  
>>
>>David Abbott
>>Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
>>abbott@washops.llnl.gov
>>
>>=========================================================================
>
>Where do you get the Rn-219 from???????????
>
>Franz Schoenhofer
>Federal Institute for Food Control and Research
>Radiochemistry
>Vienna, Austria
>Schoenhofer
>Habichergasse 31/7
>A-1160 Wien
>Tel./Fax:	+43-1-4955308
>Tel.:		+43-664-3380333
>e-mail:		schoenho@via.at
>
>
The Rn-219 comes from the Ra-223 buildup on the HEPA filter cartridge
resulting from  a decontamination and decommissioning project where a 40+
year old spill of Ac-227 onto a concrete floor was being scabbled, resulting
in high airborne levels of most of the actinium series.  

David Abbott
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
abbott@washops.llnl.gov