Cooling tower radioactivity -Reply

[Jim Hardeman <Jim_Hardeman@mail.dnr.state.ga.us>]

David --

My first "guess", not knowing any other information, would be
naturally-occuring Ra-226 and/or Ra-228 which simply built
up in a scale on the inside of the cooling tower over a period
of time. Even "acceptable" concentrations for drinking water
(i.e., < 5 pCi/l combined Ra-226 + Ra-228), over a period of
years (approximately 40, in your case) may result in such
buildup, particularly with "hard" water.

Jim Hardeman, Manager
Environmental Radiation Program
Environmental Protection Division
Georgia Department of Natural Resources
4244 International Parkway, Suite 114
Atlanta, GA 30354
(404) 362-2675  fax: (404) 362-2653
Jim_Hardeman@mail.dnr.state.ga.us

>>> "Engelbretson, David" <DEngelbretson@tmh.tmc.edu>
08/12/97 14:29 >>>
Dear colleagues,

I recently had a question asked by a member of the
hazardous waste team at our facility that I did not know the
answer to and was wondering if anyone could help me.

He told me that a waste hauler friend of his had dismantled
an old water cooling tower (~40 yrs old) from the top of an
office building and had attempted to take it to a landfill.  The
tower material  was rejected because it was emitting radiation
above the landfill's acceptable limits.

Would anyone know how radioactivity could have ended up in
the tower materials and what radionuclides could be present?
 From what I was told most of the material was wood.  Thank
you in advance for your assistance.

David Engelbretson
Asst. RSO
Methodist Hospital, Houston