contamination by spraying

["Jonkers, Gert SIC-CTAN/2" <Gert.G.Jonkers@opc.shell.com>]

Dear Colleagues,

During an offshore spill of production water, the excess of water
cascaded into the sea. The wind broke up the cascading water and mist
droplets sprayed the crew of supply boats working near the platform. As
production waters may contain Naturally Occurring Radionuclides (NORs;
particularly radium isotopes and lead-210) an issue was raised about the
irradiation/contamination of the crew.

Apart from the conventional hazards of being sprayed with production
water, has anyone of you ever dealt with such a type of exposure issue?
Up till now I do not yet know NOR concentrations, nor droplet size
distributions, but (for an innitial guesstimate) what would be the main
pathways for exposure?
- evaporating production water, causing surface (clothing/skin)
contamination?
- larger mist droplets, entering the body via ingestion?
- smaller mist droplets, entering the body via inhalation?

Your opinion(s) in this matter are appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Kind Regards, Gert Jonkers 
CTAN - Analytical - Nuclear Measurement Techniques
http://sww.ksla.shell.nl/analytical/skills/nuclearmea/1.html
   Radiotracer applications, 
   Gamma-transmission and Neutron BackScatter (NBS) measurements
   Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM)
   Radiological Protection Advice
Shell Research and Technology Centre, Amsterdam (SRTCA), 
http://www.srtca.shell.nl/welcome.html
PO Box 38000, NL-1030 BN Amsterdam, the Netherlands
tel.        +31 - 20 - 630 3424
fax        +31 - 20 - 630 2911
e-mail   Gert.G.Jonkers@OPC.Shell.COM
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