Re: Old Navy Radium

["Mike Bohan" <mike.bohan@yale.edu>]

        Reply to:   RE>Old Navy Radium

Hi Mark and Radsafers,

Thanks for your responses to my RADSAFE post.  

Actually, I'm very familiar with Ra-226 since my hospital still has and
occasionally still uses radium for therapeutic and research uses.  We have an
inventory of 153 individual sources and a total activity of 756.6 mgRa!!!  In
fact, the State of Connecticut DEP usually calls me and asks if I want to take
these old radium sources which occasionally pop up from the public.  

I have leak tested the Navy device and fortunately the source seems to be
intact.  I was relieved to find that out, I didn't want to tell the hospital
volunteer that we were going to have to make his relative's house into a
superfund site!!!   %^) 

I was just trying to find someone who knows some of the technical information
about it because I love this old stuff and may donate it to an appropriate place
who will give it a good home.  It's in really good condition, considering it's
age, and would make a good museum piece.  I'm going to check it out tonight to
see if it's still operational as a night scope.  The electronic versions
available today are quite expensive.  This is an early example of WW II
infra-red technology.

Thanks,

Mike Bohan
Radiation Safety Officer
Yale-New Haven Hospital
Radiological Physics
20 York St. - WWW 204
New Haven, CT   06504
mike.bohan@yale.edu
TEL (203)785-2950
FAX (203)737-4252

--------------------------------------
Date: 18/04/97 12:52 PM
To: Mike Bohan
From: radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu
I sent this directly to the person, however, it got
bounced, so here it is.

I would not keep that thing around.  I have a
friend who works for the CTDEP in the radiation
area.  His name is Michael Firsick.  They may
be willing just to take off your hands.  His phone
number is (860) 424-3517.

Mark Winslow
US EPA - Region II
winslow.mark@epamail.epa.gov