Re: FW: IH- Propylene

[Franz Schoenhofer <schoenho@via.at>]

At 10:53 16.03.1999 -0600, you wrote:
>This looks like a job for RADSAFE.
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: owner-ih-list@intr.net [mailto:owner-ih-list@intr.net] On Behalf
>Of mjame@ag.cyanamid.com
>Sent: Monday, March 15, 1999 11:34 AM
>To: ih-list@lists.aiha.org
>Subject: IH- Propylene
>
>
>We have received an MSDS from a supplier of propylene, which states
>"Industry
>experience has shown that propylene may contain small amounts of radon..."
>The
>MSDS also cautions about gamma radiation emanating from equipment containing
>propylene, as well as the potential to inhale alpha particles if entering or
>working on opened equipment.  Unfortunately, the MSDS supplier cannot
>provide
>any insight regarding these statements.  Can the list enlighten me regarding
>the
>presence of radon in propylene?
>
>Thanks in advance.
>

Are you sure, it is propylene and not propane? Propane, which is extracted
from natural gas contains radon, but until it reaches the consumer in the
form of liquefied gas it will have decayed, because of the half life of 3.8
days. However the long lived daughter products Pb-210 and Po-210 will
accumulate on the inner surface of compressors and storage tanks and will
decay emitting also gammas. Some years ago there was a paper on this
subject in Health Physics and also Howard Prichard has before published a
paper. I think Howard is also on RADSAFE and he could comment much better
than I.

Franz


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:
Hofrat Dr. Franz Schönhofer
Federal Institute for Food Control and Research
Department of Radiochemistry
Kinderspitalg. 15
A-1095 Vienna
Austria
Tel.: +43-1-40 490 27820
e-mail: schoenhofer@baluf.via.at
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