Radium source

Radon is still produced for therapeutic use by a few hospitals by pumping it from a radium source and sealing it in minute tubes, called seeds or needles, for application to patient. This... 

Poole has ignited Nitrogen Iodide by a single a-particle from a radium source (Refs 5 14)... 

After the development and successful explosion of the atomic bomb toward the end of World War II, an urgent search for workable uranium deposits was set in motion all over the world, The only high-grade deposits known to the western world were those in the countries just named as radium sources, but in view of the limited demand previously, serious exploration for uranium had never been undertaken, However, die offer of contracts by die U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, for fixed quantities at stated prices stimulated exploration for this hitherto largely ignored material. 

One of the first reports on the irradiation of expls was by Henderson (Ref 1) who reported in 1922 that nitrogen iodide detonated after 20 secs when placed 1 cm away from a radium source. His results also indicated that increasing the size or strength of the source decreased the time to detonation.. Poole (Ref 3) achieved the same result and concluded (in agreement with Henderson) that a single a - particle in a flux of 107 —... 

In general, the adverse effects of radium are believed to be the consequence of the radiation emitted from the element itself and its daughter products. Because there is already a considerable amount of information on the effects of radiation on humans and animals derived from studies on the effects of the atomic bomb and of therapeutic x-ray and gamma-ray treatments of malignancies, the experimental animal studies with radium have made no attempt to duplicate this information. They have instead concentrated on radium s most sensitive endpoint, cancer. For example, it can be predicted that the beta and gamma rays emitted by a radium source will produce local radiation burns and tissue damage when the source is placed on human or animal skin, hence there have been no valid reasons to conduct such studies with radium. 

Gas chromatographic equipment was an electron capture gas-liquid chromatograph. Conditions should be as follows Class column, 6 x 4 mm. i.d., packed with 80/90 mesh Anachrom ABS coated with 10% DC 200 (12,500 cst) column temperature, 195°C. injection temperature, 220°C. carrier gas flow, 75 ml./min. of nitrogen electron capture detector, radium source, concentric type. The complete system is adjusted so that 1 nanogram of lindane produces approximately 50% scale. 

The discussion in this section is primarily based on Lind s book. Much of the early work in radiation chemistry was done either with radium sources and/or radon sources. These sources produced primarily alpha rays and weak beta rays. The lack of penetrating power of these particles made early experiments very difficult. 

A radioactive method has also been developed for determination of catalyst levels in reactors, hoppers, and catalyst-feed lines of moving-bed units (331). The equipment consists of one or more radiation sources (radium chloride), a Geiger tube, and associated electronic instruments. The radium sources are mounted within the vessel at intervals over the range of levels to be measured, with the Geiger tube at the top. The exact amounts and locations of the radium sources are so proportioned that radiation from each source is no longer detected when covered by a 2-ft. layer of catalyst. Thus the counter receives maximum radiation when the vessel is empty and decreasing intensities as catalyst level rises. 

This leaves us with the brine as the major radium source. This source must remain speculative for now as there are no appropriate samples presently available from this area although high radioactivity (presumably radium) has been reported from oil-field wells further west in Kansas (Gott and Hill,... 

Henderson [1] reported that nitrogen iodide detonated after 20 sec when placed 1 cm from a radium source. Increasing the strength of the source decreased the time to detonation. Poole [28.29] concluded that a single a-particle... 

Radium. The radium source used in brachytherapy uses mostly radium sulfate or radium chloride mixed with an inert filler and loaded into cells about 1 cm long and 1 mm in diameter. These cells are made of 0.1- to 0.2- mm-thick gold foil. Radium sources are manufactured as needles or tubes in a variety of lengths and activities. Leakage of radon gas from a radium source represents a significant hazard if the source is broken. The sources are, however, doubly encapsulated to prevent such an occurrence. Cesium-137 has replaced radium, at least in the US. 

Soon after the discoveries of X-rays and radioactivity it was learned that radiation could cause changes in matter. In 1901 P. Curie found that when a radium source was placed on his skin, woimds were produced that were difficult to heal. In 1902 skin cancer was shown to be caused by the radioactivity from radium but S years later it was learnt that radium therapy could be used to heal the disease. Large radiation doses were found to kill fungi and microorganisms and produce mutations in plants. 

Radon has been produced commercially for use in radiation therapy but for the most part has been replaced by radionuclides made in accelerators and nuclear reactors. Radiopharmaceutical companies and a few hospitals pump the radon from a radium source into tubes called "seeds" or "needles" which may be implanted in patients (Cohen 1979). Research laboratories and universities produce radon for experimental studies. 

Production, Use, Release, and Disposal. The production of radon occurs directly from a radium source either in the environment or in a laboratory environment. The disposal of gaseous radioactive effluents has been documented. Increased radon concentrations have been detected in waste generated by uranium and phosphate mining therefore, these sites should be monitored on a continual basis. Although there are regulations for disposal of radionuclides in general, there are none that specifically address disposal of radon contaminated materials. Further research on the disposal of radon attached to charcoal, which is used in radon monitoring indoors, would be beneficial. 

There were several drawbacks to these machines. Cost was not the least concern. Even at lower 1940s radium prices, a ten-gram bomb sold for at least 200,000. There were also technical difficulties. Some were minor, such as a frequent difficulty with the hose design that caused the radium to get stuck. In the 1930s, operators were reported to have solved this problem by disconnecting the hose and poking at the radium source with a stick. 

A technician works in a glove box used for radium source production at Tunneys Pasture while a colleague monitors radiation levels. 

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