Re: Risk with Am241/Be source?

["J. J. Rozental" <josrozen@netmedia.net.il>]

Send an e mail to the IAEA Division of Public Information
<official.mail@iaea.org> and ask for the Manual on Nuclear Gauges -
Practical Radiation Safety Manual - IAEA-PRSM-3, 1992. I have no doubt that
the AIEA will provide you  this simple and useful guide, which describes the
basic procedures to handling and operate these portable gauges

J.J.Rozental <josrozen@netmedia.net.il>

At 01:49 PM 5/10/98 -0500, you wrote:
>Radsafers,
>
>
>
>A friend of mine recently asked about the potential radiation risks with 
>Americium (241)-Beryllium neutron generators. The probe device is used 
>for measuring moisture and density in soil etc. The probe contains 30 
>mCi 241-Am/Beryllium (the half-life of 241-Am is about 458 y) as well as 
>1 mCi cesium 137. The neutron yield can probably be taken as (??) 
>2.5x10E6 neutrons/(second,Ci).
>
>
>
>The question is what the radiation exposure (neutrons and gamma, what 
>would the energies of the neutrons and gamma components be?, weighted 
>whole body mSv/h?) whould amount to if the probe is taken out of its 
>protective shield (which I understand has to be done in order to perform 
>certain types of calibration measurements). Reasonable assumptions are 
>that the person in question - "the point target?" will stand 1 meter (m) 
>from the probe which can be considered as a point source.
>
>
>
>Many thanks in advance,
>
>
>
>Bjorn Cedervall,
>
>PhD (Karolinska Institutet)
>
>Fax: Int + 46 8 33 64 14
>
>email: bjorn_cedervall@hotmail.com
>
>______________________________________________________
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>