Re: Circuit Breakers

[Jeff Eichorst <myself@lanl.gov>]

>Date: Fri, 31 Oct 1997 13:31:49 -0700
>To: radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu
>From: Jeff Eichorst <jeichorst@lanl.gov>
>Subject: Re: Circuit Breakers
>
>Elaine,
>I am not sure about recently manufactured items, but I have run across
insulators intended for high voltage applications that contained thorium, if
my memory serves me correctly.  The thorium was from the manufacturing
process.  I do not know if the company still exists, but there was a company
called Carborundum (sp?) that made these items.  We were seeing about 1000
cpm of beta-gamma direct.  No removable.
>
>Hope that helps.
>Jeff
>
>At 01:30 PM 10/31/97 -0600, you wrote:
>>During a recent survey in our warehouse, it was discovered that a circuit
>>breaker (5 keV and 2000 amps) was about 10 times background on a Bicron
>>Analyst.  These levels were localized to an area around the arc suppressor.
>> No radioactive source label was present on the outside of the equipment.
>>This item was purchased approximately two years ago as a spare and has been
>>in storage since then.  I have tried to contact the vendor (General
>>Electric) to see what the source could be, but everyone I talk to keeps
>>telling me that there is no way that it can be radioactive.  This is
>>probably naturally occuring.  However, until I can identify what it is, I
>>am bound by our procedures for labelling, posting, release, etc.  Does
>>anyone have any idea of what element or isotope may be involved?
>>
>>Elaine
>>
>>--------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>Elaine Marshall
>>Fermilab
>>Kirk and Wilson Roads / WH-7E
>>PO Box 500, Mail Stop 119
>>Batavia, IL 60510
>>
>>PH......: 630-840-8756
>>FAX.....: 630-840-3390
>>
>>E-MAIL..: emarshall@fnal.gov
>>
>>--------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>
>>
>
Jeff Eichorst
Occurrence Investigator
Los Alamos National Laboratory
ESH-7, MS K999, Los Alamos, NM 87545
505.665-6980		505.665-6977 fax
505.996-1117 digital pager,	jeichorst@lanl.gov

Peace proposals unaccompanied by a sworn covenant indicate a plot. 
-Sun Tzu [The Art of War]