Re: Working life of sealed industrial sources

["Wesley M. Dunn" <WDUNN@brc1.tdh.state.tx.us>]

While I actually did once see parts of the report, I remember the 
fall-out, rather than the actual case (hopefully someone else 
remembers more clearly).  I believe the actual device was a Po-210 
Static Eliminator.  The Po-210 was in an epoxy matrix 
(usually/always? microspheres) that apparently was out of one bad 
batch.  The binding failed and loose contamination existed.

The NRC (and, with some goading, the Agreement States) went out on a 
massive witch hunt and surveyed every static eliminator they could 
lay their hands on (often by personnel who had little idea what they 
were looking for or at: the local x-ray inspector showed up saying "I 
was told to do this: HELP!").  

The company addressed the problem and notified the NRC of their 
proposed actions.  The NRC appeared to overreact (much like the 
NIH/MIT investigations) and demanded that the company submit to 
the actions the company had, for the most part, already voluntarily 
performed or recommended.  

The main lessons were (1) don't let poorly bound alpha emitters near 
food and drink; and (2) use better binding compounds.  

Note, however, that they are very different than the gauges and 
sources questioned in the original note.

Wes

> Date sent:      Mon, 7 Oct 96 10:12:42 -0500
> Send reply to:  radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu
> From:           "Michael P. Grissom" <mikeg@SLAC.Stanford.EDU>
> To:             Multiple recipients of list <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
> Subject:        Re: Working life of sealed industrial sources

> Radsafers,
> 
> I believe one of the more notorious failures may have been,
> as Wes Dunn noted earlier, more one of device.  That is, some
> years ago industrial air cleaners used Ra-226 sources in the
> nozzles (?) to de-ionize air.
> 
> Rumor has it that source material was released into many 
> containers being "cleaned".  Unfortunately, the company was
> a major food processor and containers (filled with food) so 
> cleaned apparently did make it to market.
> 
> Anyone recall the particulars?
> 
> S.,
> 
> MikeG.
> 

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Wesley M. Dunn, CHP                        512-834-6688
Deputy Director, Licensing                 512-834-6690 (fax)
(Texas) Bureau of Radiation Control        wdunn@brc1.tdh.state.tx.us
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