ohiosteve":mkomjck5 said:
greybeard":mkomjck5 said:
I guess it don't matter much, but was that separator certified to be N.O.R.M. free? Here on the Gulf Coast, they have to be before releasing for sale or use to the public.
Good point GB. Is it possible for above ground equipment to test positive? I have hauled dozens of semi loads of old casing from this area to a big scrapyard and they always test for radioactivity and none of it has tested positive. What would the dangers be? Would I grow an extra arm because if so that would be pretty handy.
No extra arm, but your present arms might become useless if you get leukemia in the futuree and Yes, absolutely above ground equipment gets contaminated. It's why we were cutting the separators up--to gain access so we could clean out the scale and rust. They were some of the "hottest" (most contaminated) items we worked with. But, it's not the steel itself that is radioactive--it's the rust and scale that precipitates out of the gas and liquids coming out of the ground. It is radioactive, but the steel is not--thus can be cleaned out--but every little speck has to be removed--and they can be microscopic in size.
Short term effects from ionizing radiation in NORM (Radium and Bismuth) is very very rare, rare enough to be considered zero. As the radiation passes thru cells tho, a long term effect begins as it slowly alters the cells in our bodies, but with norm, the exposure time has to be quite extensive. Years. More on that further down.
IF, the treater was cleaned properly, probably no risk. If not cleaned and tested, cutting and welding releases radon gas, which you breath in and it's possible to have long term effects from the gas. The other major risk, is from rust/scale under your fingernails, breathed in, lodged in a cut or opening in your skin or lodged in mucus membranes--especially the eyes--these little tiny bits, if contaminated, would contain and emit Radium Gamma radiation, as well as alpha and Beta particles. You can't stop gamma with normal clothing--we didn't even try. Skin or a sheet of paper will stop alpha particles--beta just a little more difficult, but with Radium 226, 228 and Radon 222 the nuculiies are "bone seekers". The find, migrate to, and concentrate in and and act on your bones and replace the calcium, causing the leukemia type cancers. This, is how NORM was discovered and put on the "radar" so to speak. A man in Mississippi came down with leukemia, and his medical history showed no cancer whatsoever in his family going back many decades. He worked in a pipe yard for a long time, cleaning drill and production pipe, had ingested dust while using the cleaning equipment and over a period of years, the bone seekers did their work.
NORM tho, is very very low level radiation. Exposure time length is the killer in any type of radiation. You can have a heavy dose of radiation exposure for a short time and be fine, or a longer length exposure time of a much smaller strength dose and have serious health problems--if that exposure time is in years or decades. We worked 8-16 hr days, for weeks at a time and never had any over-the-limit accumulative readings on our badges.
I'm sure you will be fine if you practice even the minimum normal safety precautions.
Wear at least a dust mask if you are unsure, even under your welding hood--won't stop Radon, but will stop you from breathing in a speck of dust. Long sleeves, and eye protection.
I mentioned mucus membranes--------they are thinner than your skin, and won't stop alpha or beta.
WASH--no,
SCRUB your hands thoroughly before you go in your house--use a scrub brush if you think the unit is contaminated.
You do NOT want to transmit any little speck that is emitting an alpha particle to your or your loved one's mucus membranes-------if you get my drift. This aspect was emphasized several times when I was in class getting my certificate.
Again, I'm sure you'll be fine and live a long long life.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naturally_ ... e_material
