can any one read this radium test?

hmmm

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ra.jpg
 

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arizau

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What you have is an analysis for several different isotopes of Thorium, Radium, and one each of Uranium, Lead and Potassium. The units are https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Becquerel/gram. What all that means in laymans terms I have no clue.
 

SunshineMiner

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arizau - I googled those as well, and even what the bq/g meant. Becquerel per gram. Becquerel is a measure of radioactive decay. So to me it almost reads that its decaying at .3% of a gram? or is it .3% of a gram of each isotope is present in the sample.

Staying tuned!
 

Capt Nemo

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I think it's number of disintegrations per second per gram. So for the Thorium 234 you have 0.3 atoms disintegrating per second in a 1 gram sample.

Some of the nuclear/particle physics units only make sense to those in the field.

An intellectual is a person that has been educated beyond his intelligence.
 

winners58

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Bq per gram? how do you weigh an atom that is disintegrating?
may find something on describing 'units' here;
Facts and Information about Radiation Exposure - The Energy Collective
convert Becquerel to Picocuries, the units used like for safety limits,
all I could find was 1 pCi = 0.037 Bq online converter

https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/phs/phs.asp?id=789&tid=154

The EPA has set a drinking water limit of 5 picocuries per liter (5 pCi/L) for radium-226 and radium-228 (combined).

The EPA has set a soil concentration limit for radium-226 in uranium and thorium mill tailings
of 5 picocuries per gram in the first 15 centimeters of soil and 15 picocuries per gram in deeper soil.
 

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SunshineMiner

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I was kind of confused about that. Considering I have 0 knowledge in this field.

winners - usually something that is??/g is per gram or w/e during measuring units correct? As someone who has 0 knowledge in the field, and just googling things, it showed a calculator for becquerels per gram for a calculation. SO that didnt help. https://www.calculand.com/unit-converter/?gruppe=Specific+Activity&einheit=Becquerel+per+gram+[Bq/g] I had the bq/g stuck in my head as becquerels per gram. Reading a bit more and Capt Nemos explanation in terms of disintegration's per gram is helpful.

Reading this gave me a little more insight: https://ieer.org/resource/classroom/measuring-radiation-terminology/
3rd paragraph of measuring radioactivity.

That and Capt Nemos response really helped. Thanks guys.
 

OP
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hmmm

hmmm

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thanks guys i HAVE A GREEN CLAY THAT HAS THIS TEST AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE ITS SAFE. we are going to sell it as a cleaning product.


, i may have it figured out , I think it is just the "standered detection limit" meaning it has no radioactive elements. below is want i got from the testing company..

"I also attached our standard detection limits for each of the parameters of interest. We may be able to lower the detection limits, however this depends on the nature of the sample."

Th-234: 0.2 Bq/g
Th-230: 1 Bq/g
Ra-226: 0.2 Bq/g
Pb-210: 0.2 Bq/g
U-235: 0.2 Bq/g
Th-227: 0.2 Bq/g
Ra-223: 0.2 Bq/g
Ra-228: 0.2 Bq/g
Th-228: 0.2 Bq/g
K-40: 1 Bq/g
 

hawkeye39

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Looks to me that the 3 elements that register 0.3 exceed the 0.2 limit and you would have to reduce this somehow to make it acceptable. Just a guess. Why don't you get the information you need from the company doing the analysis?

Also, the test result shows you do have radioactive elements IMO.
 

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winners58

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those are just the detection limits of the machine they are using for the gamma spectrometry test.
while that test may be acceptable for soil maybe household use, if it was for cosmetics it may need a more accurate measurement.
must be somewhere to find standards like USDA or EPA or even MSDS-OSHA

doesn't seem to be very high levels, its not large bulk stored under your house like soil concentrations
looks like you are just under or right at the lower end if they were used as fill.
might do a chemical analysis or XRF for like a MSDS ie. quartz, silicon oxides, talc, bentonite...
you could put a disclaimer to not let it dry out and create dust or breath any dust.

This material is intended to be used as a cleaning
ingredient and is exempt from Toxic Substances Control
Act (TSCA) regulation (40 CFR 710) when used as such.
Do not use for other purposes.
 

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D

drakesmen

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the values are only slightly above the lower detection level (RDL) of the method used. Elevated or anomalous values are generally 1 or 2 orders of magnitude greater than background levels. Therefore I think they are quite low values, and not elevated, even though some are detectable.
 

ecmjamsit

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It is how many gamma rays are emitted per second from a 1 gram sample. Alpha particles are stopped by paper, beta particles are stopped by aluminum foil. Gamma particles are stopped by lead!

Sounds like this stuff will be harmful if ingested, or inhaled. I inhaled some radioactive beryllium, the results are not good. My dad died from uranium exposure.

I guess you have to make sure the material passes federal law standards.
 

D

drakesmen

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It is how many gamma rays are emitted per second from a 1 gram sample. Alpha particles are stopped by paper, beta particles are stopped by aluminum foil. Gamma particles are stopped by lead!

Sounds like this stuff will be harmful if ingested, or inhaled. I inhaled some radioactive beryllium, the results are not good. My dad died from uranium exposure.

I guess you have to make sure the material passes federal law standards.

Thats not good, where the levels low?
 

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