RE: Volcanoes, ash, and Rn

["Reynolds, Harold" <harold.reynolds@rfets.gov>]

Gamma spec systems can easily misidentify radon progeny as fission or
activation products because of the proximity of the peaks.  Sometimes
only a calibrated (experienced) eyeball can tell the truth.

Harry
Harold.Reynolds@RFETS.gov

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	rkathren%tricity.wsu.edu@inet.rfets.gov
> [SMTP:rkathren%tricity.wsu.edu@inet.rfets.gov]
> Sent:	Thursday, August 06, 1998 5:26 PM
> To:	Multiple recipients of list
> Subject:	Re: Volcanoes, ash, and Rn
> 
> The short lived activity was attributable to radon decay chain
> products, not
> at all unexpected inasmuch as these attach to airborne dusts.  To the
> best
> of my knowledge, there was no Co-57 associated with or released by the
> eruption of Mt. St. Helens.
> 
> Ron Kathren
> 
> .  At 05:14 PM 8/6/98 -0500, John Pickering wrote:
> >Rob,
> >
> >When Mt St. Helens blew experienced the major erruption, I was
> working in
> >Tacoma, Washington.  I collected ash and had it sent out for
> evaluation.
> >The data is no longer available due to my replacement.  However, I
> recall
> >many nuclides found in the ash to include short lived nuclides.  I
> seem to
> >recall Co-57 amoung the nuclides which found unusual.  Later I had
> ash
> >evaluated again at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo.  They had
> environmental
> >monitoring equipment from Diablo Canyon.
> >
> >Most of the equipment encapsulated by the ash had significant
> difficulty
> >with the intake of the ash.  I see no reason why the ash would not be
> >inhaled by the people there.  
> >
> >John
> >johnjp@email.sjsu.edu
> >
> >
> >At 12:43 PM 8/6/98 -0500, you wrote:
> >Franz,
> >
> >Having been in New Zealand while Mt Ruhapehu (sp?) was going off, I
> would
> >have to disagree regarding ingestion of Ra.  The air will litterally
> become
> >a fog of ash.  You will breathe it and it will find it's way into
> your
> >body.  Of course the specific activity will be pretty low.  Think of
> all
> >the dirt you ate when you were a kid.
> >
> >I think it would be interesting to hear about elevated concentrations
> of Rn
> >when Mt St. Helens blew.  We always talk about Rn concentrations
> elevating
> >during a T inversion as it is sucked out of the ground, how about
> when the
> >whole mountain is blown into the air.  Was there a "pulsed"
> concentration?
> >
> >Radium is not harmless, if
> >ingested, but I hardly believe that debris from a volcano would be
> >ingested.
> >
> >
> >Rob
> >
> >
> >---------------------------------------------------------------------
> ------
> >        -------------------------------
> >
> >Robert J. Gunter         Tel: (714) 545-0100
> >
> >Sr. Technical Specialist      Tel: (800) 548-5100 Ext. 2414
> >
> >ICN Biomedicals, Inc.         Fax: (714) 668-3149
> >
> >Dosimetry Division       Email: rjgunter@icnpharm.com
> >
> >3300 Hyland Avenue
> >
> >Costa Mesa, CA  92626
> >
> >
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