I've been working with radioactive ore samples for 3 days now. We mill core samples into dust and put portions of it in envelopes for later testing. We use a 3M plastic mask with cotton filters, designed to keep out radon, a semi-thick cotton labcoat to protect ourselves from the dust and latex gloves.
But what about the effects from gamma rays? If I touched a sample with gloved hands, wouldn't the gamma rays still penetrate? I've had my hands covered in dust from ore samples. Should this make me nervous about longterm damage?
Do you wear a dosimeter? That should more or less cover your exposure. Alpha won't penetrate your skin, Beta will but barely so the main thing is to make sure you don't ingest/inhale those types of emitters. There's not much you can do about gamma radiation, but from un-enriched uranium I doubt the exposure is very high - however if you're dealing with it for long periods then you should be wearing a dosimeter to keep track of exposure. Raw ore though probably doesn't have enough actual uranium in it to pose a real hazard though.
As we're milling, the millstones and samples get incredible hot after a few rounds through the mill. I've been told this is simply due to friction, but I seriously doubt the people running this 'labratory'.
It's due to friction. They're milling rock - they will get hot. The only way radioactive materials could get hot would be if you were somehow isotopically enriching the fissile material (i.e. starting up a nuclear reaction by concentrating fissile U-235). Naturally occurring uranium is 99.7% U-238 which is non-fissile and fairly non-radioactive. U-235 is the fissioning element you need to worry about but is only 0.3% abundant, and you're not dealing with pure uranium in the first place.
I've been working with radioactive ore samples for 3 days now. We mill core samples into dust and put portions of it in envelopes for later testing. We use a 3M plastic mask with cotton filters, designed to keep out radon, a semi-thick cotton labcoat to protect ourselves from the dust and latex gloves.
But what about the effects from gamma rays? If I touched a sample with gloved hands, wouldn't the gamma rays still penetrate? I've had my hands covered in dust from ore samples. Should this make me nervous about longterm damage?
Do you wear a dosimeter? That should more or less cover your exposure. Alpha won't penetrate your skin, Beta will but barely so the main thing is to make sure you don't ingest/inhale those types of emitters. There's not much you can do about gamma radiation, but from un-enriched uranium I doubt the exposure is very high - however if you're dealing with it for long periods then you should be wearing a dosimeter to keep track of exposure. Raw ore though probably doesn't have enough actual uranium in it to pose a real hazard though.
As we're milling, the millstones and samples get incredible hot after a few rounds through the mill. I've been told this is simply due to friction, but I seriously doubt the people running this 'labratory'.
It's due to friction. They're milling rock - they will get hot. The only way radioactive materials could get hot would be if you were somehow isotopically enriching the fissile material (i.e. starting up a nuclear reaction by concentrating fissile U-235). Naturally occurring uranium is 99.7% U-238 which is non-fissile and fairly non-radioactive. U-235 is the fissioning element you need to worry about but is only 0.3% abundant, and you're not dealing with pure uranium in the first place.
Ok... that puts my mind at ease a little.
I'm pretty good with the mask, although there tends to be a lot of dust in the air. I've gone home to my basement wearing the same pants with the cuffs covered in ground in dust. They sat on my floor for a few days before being chucked in the wash. Is that bad?
Also... should we be wearing eye protection?
We've got an old fashioned geiger counter to check samples with, and some of them sound pretty crazy to listen to... that's gamma radiation, right? There's no worries about having my hands covered in a sample like that for a few moments at a time for 8 hours straight?
I'm just wondering because my hands are pretty sore lately... it could easily be because of the weight of the millstones I've got to move around and clean while I'm trying to process the samples, but where this is a new experience I find myself wondering and worrying at times too. My right hand feels pretty sore in a couple places...
Che Guevara on
0
VariableMouth CongressStroke Me Lady FameRegistered Userregular
edited August 2007
do I get to know why you're leaving now> I'm curious.
There's nothing wrong with saying you are leaving a thread. I do that all the time when I'm gonna leave. Otherwise you could end up with some poor sap writing some long stuff and then sitting at his computer waiting for a reply from you like that dog from Futurama.
Posts
You Queen mary
A ska band of some minor note. Not a whole lot of stereo separation, but you can hear most everything fairly well, especially the horns.
i maek joke.
you are an acceptable substitute for choco
took out her barrettes and her hair spilled out like rootbeer
It's due to friction. They're milling rock - they will get hot. The only way radioactive materials could get hot would be if you were somehow isotopically enriching the fissile material (i.e. starting up a nuclear reaction by concentrating fissile U-235). Naturally occurring uranium is 99.7% U-238 which is non-fissile and fairly non-radioactive. U-235 is the fissioning element you need to worry about but is only 0.3% abundant, and you're not dealing with pure uranium in the first place.
Aww man remember when that ray killed Steve Irwin.
Now all I need is a girl who somewhat resembles me to get drunk and praise my penis.
The leaving joke is starting to make me feel like a dick now.
Who says Cass can't multitask?
Ahh I would in a moment.
That's just because you are a horrible person and are just now realizing it.
took out her barrettes and her hair spilled out like rootbeer
Especially since it's like.....1/100th the noise of the previous one.
AHAHAHA.
Well done.
Choco? No. His mom hardly leaves the computer anymore, playing flash games and talking on MySpace. She is a sad person.
[chat]sket.
Though, I have seen neither choco nor Cass in these parts of late.
took out her barrettes and her hair spilled out like rootbeer
I remember it was done once before.
Ok... that puts my mind at ease a little.
I'm pretty good with the mask, although there tends to be a lot of dust in the air. I've gone home to my basement wearing the same pants with the cuffs covered in ground in dust. They sat on my floor for a few days before being chucked in the wash. Is that bad?
Also... should we be wearing eye protection?
We've got an old fashioned geiger counter to check samples with, and some of them sound pretty crazy to listen to... that's gamma radiation, right? There's no worries about having my hands covered in a sample like that for a few moments at a time for 8 hours straight?
I'm just wondering because my hands are pretty sore lately... it could easily be because of the weight of the millstones I've got to move around and clean while I'm trying to process the samples, but where this is a new experience I find myself wondering and worrying at times too. My right hand feels pretty sore in a couple places...
He was only jailed.
From what I hear, Cass and Choco have gone to Ottawa a couple of times. I think that explains maybe a week or two of the summer. The rest... ?
It's all fun and games until someone gets poked in the eye with a dick.
It was a joke after someone mentioned how lame goodbye posts are. I am not leaving.
took out her barrettes and her hair spilled out like rootbeer
I'm guessing cult.
wow this has gone from interesting to really silly very quickly.
I blame myself.
time for suicide.
I've always felt that that's really the only option when things don't go your way.
It's a wonder I'm still alive, actually.
You don't think skull fucking is a fun game?
I'm thinking that...
I was offered my job back at the bar, but the pay is much less and the hours can be a little crazy.
It's also downwind from the labratory.
But I could go back to school while i'm working...
You were pretty cool, though.
Damn.
Maybe there is a convention going on there for couples who enjoy elbows with their blowjobs.
I'm a dick and a vagina.