Re: Radon in urine Part 2

[Schoenhofer <schoenho@via.at>]

At 17:14 26.11.1996 -0600, you wrote:
>
>
>On Sun, 24 Nov 1996, Moroney, Roger W wrote:
>
>> I have received many helpful replies to my original posting regarding
>> the radon progeny in an urine sample. Based on them, I counted an empty
>> vial from the same box of vials and did not find anything. I also
>> counted another urine sample from the subject this past Fri which also
>> came up clean.
>> 
>> The vials were recently received in our lab. There were stored in the
>> original plastic wrapped container and had been opened about 5 days
>> before the first problem. The screw caps are in a separate bag. One
>> reply discussed static electricity, plastic vials and radon progeny.
>> This may be a possible solution.
>> 
>> Several respondents inquired as to subtraction of environmental
>> background from samples. Yes there was. I have not seen much of a
>> problem in the past (which is not all that long) with radon progeny in
>> either our gamma spect results or in the background counts. Certainly
>> nothing like the recent urine sample. It seemed to me that it was not
>> actually from the subject but having a lack of knowledge in this area I
>> was not sure. I am running a new background count now (the current one
>> is only a few months old). It has been raining a lot, the weather has
>> turned cold and the heat is on. I suspect all of these items could cause
>> a rise in the radon levels in our lab.
>> 
>> This was an interesting problem.
>> Roger Moroney
>> Radiation Specialist
>> Mallinckrodt Nuclear Medicine
>> wrmoroe@mkg.com
>> 314.770.7457 voice & 7998 fax
>> 
>Roger,
>  A couple of years ago, during the early part of a rain, a lab person 
>came into the building and when they left the lab a few minutes later, 
>they monitored their shoes with an alpha survey meter (we were working 
>with 239-Pu at the time, very low levels) and they got something like 30+ 
>alpha counts/min.  We made them remove their shoes which we kept.  The 
>alpha counts decayed with the expected rate of 222-Rn progeny.  The only 
>thing we could figure out was that the rain wash out dust with 222-Rn on 
>it, and the person picked it up, as mud-like stuff? - as they walked to 
>the building.
>Les Fraley 
>
>========================================================================

Dear radsafers,

I cannot offer any explanation for this more than mysterious results, but please
do not constantly mix radon and radon progeny - it is confusing. Having
radon in the air is one thing, radon progeny in urine is another thing.
Radon progeny measured in the urine does not mean, that radon is in it.
Radon-222 is not easily soluble in water, so rather radon progeny is washed
out by rain and deposited on the ground. The behaviour of radon and progeny
is extremely different with all respect - solubility, physical and chemical
behaviour.

Franz
Schoenhofer
Habichergasse 31/7
A-1160 WIEN
AUSTRIA/EUROPE
Tel./Fax:	+43-1-4955308
Tel.:		+43-664-3380333
e-mail:		schoenho@via.at