Jan McQueary on fri 8 dec 00
--------- Begin forwarded message ----------
From: ACTSNYC@cs.com
To: jmcqueary@juno.com
Subject: Re: Uranium in the studio
Date: Thu, 7 Dec 2000 22:40:43 EST
Message-ID: <4b.4771001.2761b23b@cs.com>
In a message dated 12/6/00 11:44:33 AM Eastern Standard Time,
jmcqueary@juno.com writes:
> After several encounters with studios where uranium was used and
stored,
> I am looking for information on how uranium may or may not contaminate
> clay studios and equipment and what are testing and cleanup
procedures.
> It used to be easy to get and I am sure that there is a lot more of it
> out there just sitting in jars in unused corners of older studios. <
I agree. When you get into the secret hidy-holes and stashes in any long
established pottery there is a good chance of finding some. I even found
a
pound jar of arsenic trioxide in a university pottery last year.
>
> For example - does it contaminate the kilns it is fired in (gas and
> electric) as lead does when it volatilizes?
There is every reason to think that it does based on its melting
temperature
and other characteristics. If fumes fairly low and is used to make
dichroic
and carnival glass.
Uranium would begin to fume at its melting point (1132oC or 2070 o F) and
fuming would increase steadily in amount until its actual boiling point
at
over 3800 oC.
If you really need to know, you scrape off some brick surface and have it
analyzed. You could even use an FDA leach test on it or a TCLP so would
wouldn't have to dissolve the whole sample.
> How about other types of
> equipment - like a ball mill or scale. With lead one can clean up
with
> TSP to help bind and pick it up - how is uranium cleaned up? <
That sounds reasonable. It is just a metal fume and/or dust. So the
same
rules would hold.
>
> What about the storage of uranium in a studio? Once the jar has been
> taken away by the hazardous waste guys is that the end of it? <
Once its gone and the studio's clean, its over. Radioactivity doesn't
hang
around on its own. It emanates from the uranium.
Monona Rossol
ACTS
181 Thompson St., #23
NYC NY 10012-2586 212/777-0062
ACTSNYC@cs.com
answering:
> Jan McQueary
>
--------- End forwarded message ----------
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