Request for Information

[Jim Hardeman <Jim_Hardeman@mail.dnr.state.ga.us>]

Fellow RADSAFEr's --

Early this week, staff of the Georgia Environmental Protection
Division (EPD) Environmental Radiation Program responded
to a contaminated scrap metal incident in Macon, GA.
Instead of our "typical" NORM-contaminated stainless steel,
we found several hundred devices called "Dilution Demand
Oxygen Regulators" which apparently had at one time been
installed in aircraft. Each of these devices has approximately
1uCi Ra-226 in a phosphorescent paint on a valve
thumb-handle (smearable of course!!). 

We have been able to pull some contract numbers from these
regulators and are trying to determine their origin. The two
contract numbers that we have been able to retrieve are
AF01(601)21690 dated August 1959 and AF01(601)20622
dated February 1958.

The scrap metal dealer is certain that the devices were
brought to them by an employee of a commercial airline.
Based on the contract numbers, however, we suspect that
they may be military in origin.

Has anybody run across these things before? If so, what were
the circumstances? Any help would be appreciated.

Jim Hardeman, Manager
Environmental Radiation Program
Environmental Protection Division
Georgia Department of Natural Resources
4244 International Parkway, Suite 114
Atlanta, GA 30354
(404) 362-2675  fax: (404) 362-2653
Jim_Hardeman@mail.dnr.state.ga.us