Re: Ionic Charger help ID

["Franz Schoenhofer" <schoenho@via.at>]

Schoenhofer
Habichergasse 31/7
A-1160 Wien
AUSTRIA
Tel./Fax: +43-1-4955308
Mobiltel.: +43-664-3380333
e-mail: schoenho@via.at
-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: Bruce A Busby <bbusby@umich.edu>
An: Multiple recipients of list <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
Datum: Donnerstag, 22. Jänner 1998 20:11
Betreff: Ionic Charger help ID


>Hi All,
>
>I have an interesting device I need help with identifying. It is called an
>Ionic Charger, made by Ionic Research Foundation, Winter Park, Florida. It
>is in a very nice wooden box (cherry wood?) that is approx 8 x 11 x
>5 inches.
>It contains a glass column/chamber that has a radionuclide (radium?)
>and lead shield and metal endcaps. It reads on contact with the box about
>20 mR/hr with a ion chamber detector.  From what I can tell, water is
>passed through it via tygon hose, and two glass stop cocks and collected.
>The instructions mention something about "charging" the water
>for plant watering and experiments. It is at least 30 years old, and
>could be much older (the tygon could be a more recent
>addition/replacement).
>
>Anyone know for sure what the nuclide is, and the amount?
>
>Bruce Busby
>bbusby@umich.edu
>
>
Bruce,

Don't you have a germanium detector at hand to put this device on it to
verify within minutes, whether it is Ra-226 or not?

I often wonder whether germanium detectors are not "state of the art" in the
USA when reading some questions on RADSAFE. I dare say that they are "state
of the art" in Europe and I cannot imagine any laboratory for radionuclide
measurement and any institution working in radiation protection without
them.

No flame intended, any flames welcome.

Franz