Common Radiation Sources

Radiation-related consulting and services from Integrated Environmental Management, Inc.

Americium-241 (433 years)

100 µCi in commercial smoke detector systems
5 µCi in home smoke detectors
Curie quantities in neutron sources (comingled with boron or beryllium)
Thickness gauging

Boron-10

Cancer therapy

Bromine-82

Hydrological tracers (1 to 100 Ci)

Californium-252

Borehole logging (100 microcurie sealed sources)

Cerium-144

Thickness gauging
Detecting thickness variation and defects in castings; weld inspection
Automatic weighing equipment (5 to 200 millicurie sealed sources)

Cesium-137 (30 years)

1 microcurie in voltage regulators and current surge protectors
Thickness gauging
Detecting thickness variation and defects in castings; weld inspection
Industrial radiography (10 to 100 Ci sealed sources)
Borehole logging (10 mCi to 2 Ci sealed sources)
Automatic weighing equipment (5 to 200 millicurie sealed sources)

Chromium-51

Studies of piston-ring and bearing wear

Cobalt-57

Mossbauer analysis (2 to 50 microcurie sealed sources

Cobalt-60 (5.27 years)

Curie quantities in teletherapy units for cancer treatment
Nuclear medicine studies
1 microcurie in spark gap irradiators (to enhance reliability of ignition)
1-10 microcurie in glow lamps (starters for fluorescent lamps, electric blanket thermostats, etc.)
Control of discharge in coke ovens
Measuring wear of firebrick linings
Detecting thickness variation and defects in castings; weld inspection
Sterilization of medical supplies
Food sterilization
Measurement of prompt miss distance (missiles vs. targets) in aerospace
Industrial radiography (10 to 100 Ci sealed sources)
Borehole logging (10 mCi to 2 Ci sealed sources)
Automatic weighing equipment (5 to 200 millicurie sealed sources)

Copper-64

Studies of piston-ring and bearing wear

Europium-155

Thickness gauging
Detecting thickness variation and defects in castings; weld inspection

Gadolinium-153

Detecting thickness variation and defects in castings; weld inspection

Gold-198

Evaluation of rail life in the transportation industry

Hydrogen-3 (12.3 years)

1300 µCi in radioluminescent watches
5000 µCi in radioluminescent clocks
0.5 Ci in luminous signs (used in hotel/motel chains, amusement parks, manufacturing facilities, aircraft)
Remote airport markers
Military applications -infrared wands used to light portable helipads, runways, and drop zone markers
Aircraft manufacturing
US Government
Tritiated foils and targets used in research applications such as gas chromotography.
20 microcuries in electron tubes (indicator lights in clothes washers and dryers, stereos, coffee makers and pinball machines)
Studies of hydrogen embrittlement
Efficiency of separation in chemical processing
Permeability studies in gas fields (natural gas industry)
Methane detection in the mining industry
Hydrological tracers (1 to 100 Ci)

Iodine-123

Diagnostic (and occasionally therapeutic) nuclear medicine procedures

Iodine-131

Diagnostic (and occasionally therapeutic) nuclear medicine procedures
Thoroughness of mixing in the chemical processing industry
Obtaining informatin about subterranean flow patterns in oil-bearing strate (oil production)

Iridium-192

Detecting thickness variation and defects in castings; weld inspection
Industrial radiography (10 to 100 Ci sealed sources)

Iron-57

Mossbauer analysis (2 to 50 microcurie sealed sources

Iron-59

Tracing blast furnace operations
Studies of piston-ring and bearing wear

Krypton-85

0.2 microcuries in electron tubes (indicator lights in clothes washers and dryers, stereos, coffee makers and pinball machines)
1 microcurie in voltage regulators and current surge protectors
1-10 microcurie in glow lamps (starters for fluorescent lamps, electric blanket thermostats, etc.)
Thickness gauging
Leak testing in the electrical industry
Permeability studies in gas fields (natural gas industry)
Reservoir engineering (200 mCi)

Lead-210 (22.3 years)

Consumer products
Tobacco products
1 microcurie in voltage regulators and current surge protectors

Mercury-197

Mercury switch studies in the electrical industry

Nickel-63

1 microcurie in voltage regulators and current surge protectors
1-10 microcurie in glow lamps (starters for fluorescent lamps, electric blanket thermostats, etc.)
Studies of piston-ring and bearing wear

Plutonium-238

4 curies in cardiac pacemakers

Polonium-210 (138 days)

500 to 1,000 microcuries in static eliminators
Tobacco products

Potassium-40 (1.3 billion years)

450 pCi/g in salt substitutes (low sodium salt)
60 pCi/g in Vermiculite
150 pCi/g in garden fertilizer
Sports drinks (electrolyte replacement)
Bananas (~ 0.3 nCi)

Promethium-147 (2.6 years)

40 µCi in radioluminescent watches
100 µCi in radioluminescent clocks
1-10 microcurie in glow lamps (starters for fluorescent lamps, electric blanket thermostats, etc.)
Automatic weighing and gauging equipment (5 to 200 millicurie sealed sources)

Radium-226 ( 1600 years)

µCi to mCi range in radioluminescent products ( radioluminescent gauges for aircraft, clock dials, pull chains on light bulbs, switches, chamber pot lids, doorknobs, religious statuary, telephone dials, fishing lures, markers at military bases to assist movement during blackout periods.)
Brazil nuts (0.2 to 7 pCi/g; the radium replaces the calcium and concentrates in the endosperm of the nut)
0.01 to 0.36 microcuries in men's wristwatches (largely replaced by hydrogen-3 and promethium-147.
0.1 - 7 millicuries in lightening rods
3 microcuries per source (6-21 per device) as "lonotron" foils in single-pan Mettler Balances

Radium-228 (5.76 years)

Brazil nuts
Fertilizer
Lantern mantles

Radon-222

Up to 1 microcurie per liter in domestic water supplies

Samarium-145

Detecting thickness variation and defects in castings; weld inspection

Strontium-90

Thickness gauging
Power for navigational lights
Testing of cigarette firmness (consumer product use)
Automatic weighing equipment (5 to 200 millicurie sealed sources)

Tantalum-182

Detecting thickness variation and defects in castings; weld inspection

Thorium-228 and Thorium-232 (1.9 years and 14 billion years)

300 mg each in gas lantern mantles (originally used to create light in movie theaters; more recently, used in camping activities; use is decreasing)
Optical lenses (not for human use)
High quality lenses (night sights for military applications)
35 mm camera lenses
2% by weight in tungsten products (welding rods, rocket nozzels, lighting filliaments)

Uranium-234 (246,000 years)

Glazes in ceramics (Best example is the line of dinnerware produced in the 1930's called "Fiesta Ware". While this type is no longer produced, pieces can still found in homes and sold at flea markets.)
Black ceramic spot plates to visualize light-colored precipitates and porcelain dentures
Cloisone jewelry (orange coloring)

Uranium-235 (700 million years)

Glazes in ceramics (Best example is the line of dinnerware produced in the 1930's called "Fiesta Ware". While this type is no longer produced, pieces can still found in homes and sold at flea markets.)
Black ceramic spot plates to visualize light-colored precipitates and porcelain dentures
Cloisone jewelry (orange coloring)

Uranium-238 (4.5 billion years)

Glazes in ceramics (Best example is the line of dinnerware produced in the 1930's called "Fiesta Ware". While this type is no longer produced, pieces can still found in homes and sold at flea markets.)
Black ceramic spot plates to visualize light-colored precipitates and porcelain dentures
Cloisone jewelry (orange coloring)
Shielding
Armor-piercing shells

Uranium and Thorium Decay Series

Kaolin (used in many magazines to produce a high gloss appearance)
Kaopectate (anti-diarrhea medication)
Cat litter
100's of ppm to enhance the appearance of porcelain teeth.
5-10 mg of thorium fluoride in optical glass (lenses for CO2 lasers, etc., not for human use)
30 microcuries in a tungsten welding rod
5 pCi in a fluorescent lamp starter

Xenon-133

Studies of sediment and sand movement

Zinc-65

Studies of piston-ring and bearing wear

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