The article referred to shows a typical reaction of uninformed
individuals to anything labeled "nuclear" or "radioactive". I am not
trying to trivialize this incident, but there was no need for alarm. A
telephone call to a proper waste handler could easily have had the
materials disposed of. Depending on the age of those minigenerators,
the radiation level should have been quite low.
The radioactive materials pictured and described in the article are the
Union Carbide minigenerators used in the teaching of radioactivity in
schools. There were two types of these minigenerators available, a
Cesium 137/barium 137m and a tin 113/indium 113m. Only the cesium
137/barium 137m minigenerator is still available today. (Spectrum
Technologies, Oak Ridge, TN) The minigenerators contained 9
microcuries of isotope. The short-lived daughters were extracted from
the minigenerators using a dilute salt solution. Due to the short
half-lives of the daughter isotopes (2.55 m for cesium 137m and 100 m
for indium 113m) and the extremely small amount of material eluted from
the minigenerator (less than milligram quantities), there was
essentially no waste to dispose of. At the time, there was an excellent
laboratory manual by with information on proper handling and excellent
experiments. I still utilize the the cesium 137/barium 137m
minigenerator in my chemistry courses for both demonstrations and a
hands-on laboratory class. Obviously, I stress safe handling of these
materials and proper education.
The small amount of isotope in the minigenerators is considered "safe"
and is not regulated by the NRC and most states. (Note: No radioactive
material is safe without proper training in handling and storage.)
Unfortunately, nuclear chemistry is normally omitted from most chemistry
courses, being relegated to a chapter near the end of the textbook, an
area many courses never teach. As a result, students and the public have
been poorly informed about radioactivity to a state of complete fear of
anything nuclear, as evidenced by the name change of "Nuclear Magnetic
Resonance" imagining to "Magnetic Resonance Imagining" (no nuclear
radiation is involved).
The American Nuclear Society (www.ans.org) provides
speakers, provides information, and teaches workshops for teachers on
radioactivity around the country. They have an excellent dose chart
(http://www.ans.org/pi/resources/dosechart/) on their web site that should be utilized in any class
where radioactivity is discussed. Chances are there is someone from the
ANS within a reasonable distance from any school who can properly advise
local schools on the handling and proper disposal of these materials.
To all the teachers on this database. If you do not teach any nuclear
science in your course, it's about time you joined the 21st century and
put it in your syllabus. When you discuss the nucleus and atomic
structure, you should talk about nuclear stability and nuclear decay.
It's all part of the transuranium elements on the periodic table.
David Katz
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David A. Katz
Chemist, Educator, Expert Demonstrator, Science Communicator, and
Consultant
Programs and workshops for teachers, schools, museums, and the public
133 N. Desert Stream Dr. * Tucson, AZ 85745-2277 * USA
voice/fax: (520) 624-2207 * email:
dakatz45**At_Symbol_Here**msn.com
Visit my web site:
http://www.chymist.com
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----- Original Message -----
From: Barbara Foster
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU
Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 8:03 AM
Subject: [DCHAS-L] RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS IN SCHOOLS
An article that may be of interest to our members:
http://www.cnn.com/2006/EDUCATION/11/27/radioactive.schools.ap/index.html
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