Re: Contaminated Crates?

["Judd M. Sills" <sillsj@GAT.COM>]

dwayne.gardner@po.state.ct.us wrote:
> 
> --???_???
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> 
> A  citizen who moved here from Ukraine 5 years ago has a concern. Seems she
> has discovered the wooden crates she used to ship her personal belongings in
> were made from trees harvested from the areas close to Chernobyl. I'm not
> sure how she knows this but she seems pretty sure.
> 
> Her question is should she be concerned about continuing to use these
> crates. I'd be interested to hear what everyone thinks about this. Also, if
> anyone can recommend any studies/articles related to this specific topic
> (not Chernobyl in general) I'd be grateful. Thanks
> 
> Dwayne Gardner
> CT DEP
> dwayne.gardner@po.state.ct.us
> Fax: 860-424-4065
> 
> --???_???--
Uptake of Cs-137 by trees will occur from contaminated soils, depending
upon the extent of the contamination.  I would expect that contamination
to be inherent to the wood itself, and to not be very likely to pose
any serious exposure or contamination concerns.  If the individual
moved from the Ukraine 5 years ago, the age of the wood may be such that
even if it was harvested locally that it may have been harvested and
processed prior to the Chernobyl event.  If she has access to someone
at a facility with MCA capabilities, it would be a simple matter to
take a sample and prepare it for gamma spectroscopy to reassure her
that there isn't a problem.  It would also be possible to survey
the wood materials by direct scan or with a micro-R meter to demonstrate
that there is nothing to be concerned with.

Best regards
-- 
Judd M. Sills, CHP           |   Office: (619)455-2049
General Atomics, Room 01-166C|      Fax: (619)455-3181
3550 General Atomics Court   |   E-Mail:  sillsj@gat.com
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