Re: RADSAFE digest 1856

["Tony LaMastra" <alamastra@enter.net>]

It's probably uranyl acetate or uranyl nitrate.

contact Annette Leach at US Ecology aleach@americanecology.com
re disposal.    It may be expensive and will probably have to be solidified
in concrete.   You might also check the NRC or a state to see if it is
acceptable for sewer disposal.   Part 20 Appendix B seems to permit this
route, provided your water flow is high enough and the material is fully
soluble in water.   The local sewer authority may have restrictions,
however.


Tony LaMastra
alamastra@enter.net
----------
> From: Ken Smith <ksmith@cats.ucsc.edu>
> To: Multiple recipients of list <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
> Subject: Re: RADSAFE digest 1856
> Date: Wednesday, May 06, 1998 4:13 PM
> 
> Hi All-
> 
> I'm posting this for a local community college.  They discovered a
> container of
> radioactive material in their biology labs.  The container was a 250 ml
> plastic
> screw-top lid opaque in color containing ~200 ml  of a lightly-tinged
yellow
> liquid. The container was labeled:
> "Uranyl reagent
> Laboratory Associates
> Westchester Associates"
> 
> It is believed to be part of a water quality testing kit.  A hazardous
waste
> disposal company wouldn't dispose of the material because their meter
pegged
> (?) at >25 uR/hr at 6 inches form the container.
> 
> A radioactive waste vendor was contacted but will not dispose of the
container
> until it's contents have been identified.
> 
> My questions to the list are:
> 1. Does anyone have a contact for Laboratory Associates?
> 2. Does anyone know what chemical may be?  Is there a specific uranium
> chemical
> that is used in water quality testing?
> 3. Does any one know of a reference / recommendation for a laboratory
testing
> company that can identify the chemical constituent’s of radioactive
waste? 
> (The chemical identification labs I have dealt with in the past refuse
> radioactive samples for analysis.)
> 
> Thanks in advanced for your information.  You may reply to me directly at
the
> e-mail address below.  I'll post a consensus answers to the questions
back to
> the list for everyone's knowledge.
> 
> Ken
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ----------
> Ken Smith
> Acting Radiation Safety Officer
> University of California
> Santa Cruz, CA  95064                   
> Voice: (408) 459-3911
> Fax: (408) 459-3209
> e-mail: ksmith@cats.ucsc.edu 
>