Revigator -Reply

[FRAMEP@ORAU.GOV]

KDROLFE wrote in part:
>     Our goal is to display the Revigator in a museum and I am curious to 
>     know if anyone out there has worked with one of these medical       
>wonders in the past.  If so, was the radium ore very well adhered to
>the  internal of the crock, or does it have a tendency to become loose?  
>     Also how much Radium activity is in the crock?  We would also
>welcome  any suggestions as to how to display it so as to reduce the
>problem of  Radon buildup.  
     
Congratulations on your good fortune :-)

My impression has always been that the ore lining the jug stays intact. If
it does come off, it is in small quantities. If this is a concern, it is easy
enough to prevent: simply coat the inside of the jar with a patching
material eg like that used on a driveway or roof.  From a Revigator
brochure, "Our experts secured the average of the radioactivity
contained in the waters of the most famous health springs of the world 
and duplicated it by lining the inner wall of the REVIGATOR with carefully
selected radio-active Ore in exactly the same correct strength. Then by a
scientific treatment they have suceeded in fixing this everlasting ore to
the walls of the REVIGATOR in a porous form.." Hey, this lining was
manufactured "scientifically" by experts, how could it fail?

Being lazy, I've never bothered to do an analysis of the radium content.
But as an easy approximation guesstimate, you could assume that that
the entire weight of the jar is ore and that the ore is 0.1 - 0.3% uranium.

On some of the jars here, we've sealed the top opening with plexiglass
to reduce radon emissions.  Since it will be in a museum, you'll probably
want to have it in a case and this would serve much the same purpose. 
With the kind of air turnover you will have in a museum, the radon
concentrations should stay low. I really doubt that radon is an issue.

For the display, I'd include a water glass near the spigot and have
blowups from  the manufacturer's literature. At the American Museum of
Science & Energy here in town, they have a Revigator on display. When
the visitor pushes a button, the voice of a salesman comes on promoting
the virtues of radioactive water. You might want to try something similar.

Paul Frame
Professional Training Programs
ORISE
framep@orau.gov