Radiation Safety Percaution in Kazakastan

[Ken Smith <ksmith@cats.ucsc.edu>]

Hi All -

He's a very odd request. But if anyone can help me with this I know 
RadSafer's can.

I have a geologist who will be leaving for Kazakastan next week to collect 
rock samples for a paleo-magnetic lab. He will be spending several weeks in 
a village called Semitau which is located in Eastern Kazakastan. He's been 
informed by his local host that the area they will be traveling in is near 
the "nuclear polygon".

He's come to me to ask advice on radiation safety while in the area. As I 
have very little experience with former USSR test sites (or any test sites 
for that matter). What issues should I advice him on? Specifically:

Are there any radiological hazards still remaining in this area?
If so, is there Kazakastan radiation safety personal that maintain site 
security in these ares? (Meaning that the geologist can't get access to 
anything that presents a hazard.)
Should I badge our geologist going on the trip?
Should I send them with any detection equipment? Geiger counter (-may be a 
problem because of the elevation changes) or solid-state electronic dosimetry?

If anyone has experience or advice in this matter can you please e-mail me 
or call. I'll post what I hear in a summary if anyone else is interested.

Thanks Ken


----------
Ken Smith, Radiation Safety Officer

Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S)  voice: (831) 459-3911
University of California                        fax: (831) 459-3209
1156 High St.                           e-mail: ksmith@cats.ucsc.edu
Santa Cruz, CA  95064                   web: www.ehs.ucsc.edu 
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