Re[2]: Ionic Charger help ID

[Steven.Rima@DOEGJPO.COM (Steven Rima)]

     I can't presume to speak for Bruce on this, but most of these "inter=
esting =

     items" like he has found are at auctions, antique shops, etc. and ar=
e =

     purchased on personal time with personal funds. This being the case,=
 very =

     few employers will allow an employee to bring personal items on thei=
r site, =

     when that item contains an unknown amount of an unknown radioactive =

     material. If I purchased this item Bruce has, I would not make any a=
ttempt =

     to "bring it to work with me" to find out what is in it. If I did, a=
nd then =

     dropped it and the glass tube broke, I would probably find myself lo=
oking =

     for a new job. (As much as I might like to have a germanium detector=
 =

     counting system at home, my wife keeps telling me that it's not in t=
he =

     budget.  ;-)
     =

     Steven D. Rima, CHP
     Manager, Health Physics and Industrial Hygiene
     MACTEC-ERS, LLC
     steven.rima@doegjpo.com

______________________________ Reply Separator __________________________=
_______
Subject: Re: Ionic Charger help ID
Author:  "Franz Schoenhofer" <schoenho@via.at> at Internet
Date:    1/22/98 2:58 PM


     =

Schoenhofer
Habichergasse 31/7
A-1160 Wien
AUSTRIA
Tel./Fax: +43-1-4955308
Mobiltel.: +43-664-3380333
e-mail: schoenho@via.at
-----Urspr=FCngliche Nachricht-----
Von: Bruce A Busby <bbusby@umich.edu>
An: Multiple recipients of list <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu> =

Datum: Donnerstag, 22. J=E4nner 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 abou=
t =

>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=
=2E =

>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 "sta=
te =

of the art" in Europe and I cannot imagine any laboratory for radionuclid=
e =

measurement and any institution working in radiation protection without =

them.
     =

No flame intended, any flames welcome.
     =

Franz
     =

     =

     =