Re: Respect

[Kim Merritt <Merritt9@llnl.gov>]

I would like to try an interpret Dee's question a little differently.
Perhaps as to what isotopes that could be detected with a PGM that may be
used in association with tritium.  I have replied to her directly because
it happens that she is working in my old stomping grounds at SNL.  For some
labs it is common to run across another pure beta emitter that is very
often found in similar applications to and sometimes with tritium, and that
is Ni-63.  It is easily detected in significant quantities although hard to
quantify due to the  low efficiency.  As to tritium not being detected with
a PGM, this is not strictly true.  It can be found via the bremmstrahlung
if it is in the right configuration and quantity.  The best way to
distinguish between the nickel and tritium is to use an LSC and look at the
energy spectrum.  I have used this effectively in proving to some
researchers that the contamination in their lab did indeed come from their
experiment and was not caused by "legacy issues".

In any case, if you deem somebody's question to be too basic to merit your
time don't waste more of your precious time in responding to it.  I just
rejoined RADSAFE after almost a year away and have always found it to be a
great tool for picking other peoples brains.

PS- Just because somebody works for a national lab doesn't mean that they
have the world at their fingertips.  People get kicked out into the field
here too, armed with nothing but what they already have in their brain.


| | | |    Kim Merritt, RRPT
| | | |__  Sr. Health & Safety Technologist
| | |___/  merritt9@llnl.gov
| |___/    Voice: (925)423-1143   Fax: (925)423-1088
|___/      Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
	   L-143, 7000 East Ave, Livermore, CA  94550
	  "When the only tool you have is a hammer,
	   every problem begins to resemble a nail."
	   -Abraham Maslow


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