Re: Respect

[Franz Schoenhofer <schoenho@via.at>]

At 18:10 03.09.1998 -0500, you wrote:
>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.  

Can you give me a lower limit of detection? My comment was referring rather
to environmental concentrations or slightly elevated ones.

The best way to
>distinguish between the nickel and tritium is to use an LSC and look at the
>energy spectrum. 

There is nobody, who would agree more with you than I. Could you tell me
more about your experience? We have tried to find out about contamination
with Ni-63 from EC-detectors, but "unfortunately" the contamination
produced by these detectors and on smear samples was so low, that we had
even with our ultra-low-level counter "Quantulus" no significant reading.
The measurement of Ni-63 associated with EC-detectors would be an important
application of LSC. Do you have some experience with Fe-55?


 
>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.  

My answer was not directed primarily to the basic question, but to the
fact, that it is not considered worth to look up solutions of questions in
textbooks, but rather to ask a forum like RADSAFE for the answer. I do not
want to go into details.  


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.

In my laboratory I have accepted during the last 20 years only people who
had a basic knowledge in health physics or who were willing to learn about
it - so it is the responsibility of the supervising scientist to answer
questions like the one posed and to offer the adequate training. 




>
>| | | |    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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Franz Schoenhofer
Habicherg. 31/7
A-1160 Vienna
Austria
Tel.: +43-1-495 53 08
Fax.: same number
mobile phone: +43-664-338 0 333
e-mail: schoenho@via.at

Office:
Federal Institute for Food Control and Research
Department of Radiochemistry
Kinderspitalg. 15
A-1095 Vienna
Austria
Tel.: +43-1-40 491 520
Fax.: +43-1-40 491 540
e-mail: schoenhofer@baluf.via.at
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