(Third of a four-part series on radia-tion in fracking wastewater.)

Wastewater from hydraulic fracturing in the Marcellus shale region can be radioactive.

Highly radioactive. Through a drilling technique known for-mally as hydraulic frac-turing, a stratum of shale rock one mile beneath the surface is blasted with chemically laced, high-pres-sure water to release pockets of nat-ural gas. That water, now containing mineral debris from the rock forma-tion, is then sucked back out of the earth to be disposed of or recycled. A constituent element of that waste-water is radium-226. The Marcellus shale is full of it. Mark Engle, a U.S. Geological Survey research geologist, said the main reason the Marcellus shale is so high in radium is because the shale contains enriched concentrations of uranium, which has a half-life of 4.5 billion years. That means, Engle said, “these rocks will continue to gener-ate radium and other uranium series progeny for a very long time.” Engle co-authored a USGS report that found that millions of barrels of wastewater from unconvention-al (fracked) wells in Pennsylvania and vertical wells in New York were 3,609 times more radioactive than the federal limit for drinking water and

300 times more radioactive than a Nuclear Regulatory Commission limit for industrial discharges to water. He also said the Marcellus’ high levels of uranium and radioactivity has to do with the surrounding geology.

Marvin Resnikoff, a physicist at the University of Michi-gan and senior associate at Radioactive Waste Manage-ment Associates, said the Marcellus shale contains about 30 times the amount

of radium found in topsoil sampled from New York and Penn-

sylvania. And with higher levels of radium in the black shale itself comes increased levels of radium in wastewater, Res-nikoff said. While the radioactive materials contained within the Marcellus during fracking are naturally occurring, ex-perts say high levels still pose a threat to health. The EPA classifies radon, radium and uranium as “naturally occurring radionuclides found in the environ-ment.” But the EPA also classifies both radium and radon as “potent carcin-ogens.” The agency says that radium, through oral exposure, can cause lung, bone, head and nasal passage tumors. And radon, if inhaled, causes lung cancer. Resnikoff agrees. “Radium is of concern because when ingested or inhaled, it concen-trates in bone and can give rise to leukemia,” he said.

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Radiation SafetyIsn’t This Radiation Naturally Occurring?

A publication of the Ohio University Risk Management and Safety Department

Spring 2013

Ohio University Radiation Safety Office Newsletter Issue 3

Required Reading

Suggested Reading

Reading Key

In this issue:

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Naturally Occuring Radium......1,2

Collector’s Corner Urani-um......3

Useful Links......5

What is Plutonium...... 4

(Continued on page 2)

BobcatBUY for Radioactive Materials......4

G-M Detectors......5

Spring 2013

While the World Nuclear Asso-ciation says that naturally occurring radiation makes up for the average person’s annual exposure and is usual-ly not a threat, it also says that certain industries handle significant quantities of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material, or NORM, which usually ends up in their waste streams. “Over time, as potential NORM hazards have been identified, these industries have increasingly become subject to monitoring and regula-tion,” the association said. “However, there is as yet little consistency in NORM regulations among industries and countries. This means that ma-terial which is considered radioactive waste in one context may not be considered so in another. Also, that which may constitute low-level waste in the nuclear in-dustry might go entirely unregulated in another industry.” That’s why the nucle-ar industry is subject to much stricter regulations than the gas industry in terms of regulating poten-tially radioactive waste,

said David Lochbaum, a nuclear en-gineer who heads the Nuclear Safety Project for the Union of Concerned Scientists. “NRC’s regulations require that every drop of water and every mole-cule of air discharged from a plant be monitored for radiation,” Lochbaum said. Ivan White, a career scientist for the National Council on Radiation Protection, said radiation exposure to humans should be limited. “The goal is to limit the total radia-tion dose to large populations because of the increased probability of health effects,” he said. “In the current case, the uncontrolled release of hazardous

waste could result in the exposure of millions of people over decades.” White also authored a report issued by the New York-based Grassroots Environmental Education that says fracking can produce waste much higher in radiation than previously thought. And environmentalists say that radiation is becoming a serious issue in the disposal or treatment of fracking waste. (Continued on page 4)

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(Continued from page 1)

What is Plutonium?Plutonium is named after the Greco-Roman diety of the underworld. People say alchemy is nonsense and that you can not transmute one element to another -- it is possible and happens hundreds of times per day. Plu-tonium is a wholly man-made element made from the process of purifying and purifying uranium. It is one of the most toxic substances on the planet. ■

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzTBXZ8wmKQ&fea-ture=related

Watch the video!

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/fea-tures/2013/03/fracksandmining/

Watch the video!

Spring 2013 Spring 2013

Collectors Corner: Uranium f you’re a serious collector of pot-tery or glass, you probably own a UV (ultra violet) tube, popularly called a “black light.” This useful

tool not only reveals hidden flaws and repairs, but it can also activate the tell-tale neon-green fluorescence that indicates the presence of uranium. The use of uranium in glass was much more prevalent than most peo-ple realize. Not long after the discov-ery of uranium in 1789, glassmakers began experimenting with uranium compounds as colorants, and in the period between the 1830’s and World War II, all manner of objects made of the glass - from everyday drinking glasses, cups, and dishes to decorative pieces and art glass - appeared on the market. During the war, supplies of urani-um were diverted to the development of the nuclear bomb. By the time the commercial production of uranium glass resumed in 1959, government restrictions and the negative connota-tions associated with radiation forced manufacturers to switch to depleted uranium, which is less radioactive. The relatively small quantities of uranium glass still being made today are of the decorative variety, such as the Bur-mese glass line made by Fenton Art Glass (USA).

But there is actually little to fear from pre-war pieces. With the ex-ception of a few early 20th century specimens that were composed of up to 25% uranium by weight, the rest had around just 2% each and normally emit little radiation above what one would normally be exposed to natu-rally from the environment. The risks from exposure only increase if acidic liquids or foods are allowed to stay in

con-tact with the glass, leech-ing min-erals in the food,

or if the glass is sanded or abraded, releasing particles into the air which could be inhaled. Not all uranium glass looks alike. Vaseline glass - so named because it resembled the ointment at that time - was so popular between the 1880’s and the 1920’s that the term is some-times used as a synonym for uranium glass. Purists define Vaseline glass as a transparent yellow/yellow-green glass that derives its color from its

2% uranium oxide content. It’s identified by fluorescence, or as VGCI (Vaseline Glass Collec-tors, Inc.) members like to say, “If it doesn’t turn green, it’s not Vaseline!” Other well-known versions of uranium glass include some Depression and Carnival. Many green Depression glass pieces, in particular, are considered less-valuable versions of Vase-line glass because lead has been

added to deepen the color. Burmese glass dates to the 1880’s and is distinctive for the gradual shift from a canary-yellow bottom to a salmon-colored top. This is achieved, in part, through the addition of soda ash, lime, and gold. (Burmese is so-named because Queen Victoria, when presented with a gift of the glass, remarked that the colors reminded her of a Burmese sunset.) Jade glass, also known as Jadite or Jadeite, is another particularly popular type of uranium glass. It was mar-keted by such companies as McKee and Jeannette Glass in the 1920’s and ‘30’s, but by the time Anchor-Hock-ing’s Fire-King Jadeite line appeared in 1942, uranium was no longer being added. Prices for uranium glass vary widely depending upon rarity and condition, but most fall within the $10 to $300 range, so creating a collection is an affordable endeavor, especially if you recognize pieces at yard and estate sales that everyone else has over-looked. If you suspect a piece might be, for example, Vaseline, and you don’t have your portable black light or Geiger counter with you, hold it up to bright sunlight. If it’s genuine, the glass should take on a subtle greenish glow as the uranium fluoresces under the sun’s ultraviolet rays. ■

http://www.ecommercebytes.com/cab/abu/y212/m09/abu0319/s05

IBy Michele Alice, EcommerceBytes.com

Vaseline glass showing signs of uranium through a blacklight test.

Burmese glass

Jadeite glass, popoular uranium glass in the 1920’s

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**The following instructions are available with illustrations within Appendix 12 of the Radiation Safety Handbook or at this link-http://www.ohio.edu/riskandsafety/docs/radiation/RadManAppendix12A.pdf. This article outlines the BobcatBUY procedure, but the previous Procurement of Radioactive Material system may be used if you encounter problems. Both procedures are outlined in the hand-book.

Radioactive Material shopping in Bob-catBUY *Note: All Radioactive Material orders must be shipped to the Ohio University Radiation Safety Officer*

Attn: Alan Watts 49 Factory Street # 142

1 Ohio UniversityAthens, OH 45701

There are two ways to shop for Ra-diocative Materials in BobcatBUY;1. Catalog orders2. Non-Catalog item orders

Catalog Orders Radioactive materials ordered from catalog suppliers (e.g. Fisher Scientific, VWR) are flagged in BobcatBUY. The ‘EHS RSC’ workflow bucket routes the Requisition to the Radia-tion Safety Officer (RSO, Alan Watts) for review and approval. The RSO will review the order and ensure that the shopper is permitted to order the items and confirm the ship to address is cor-rect (RSO can edit the ship to address if the Requisition is assigned to him/her, see instructions below for editing the shipping). If the RSO confirms that the shopper is permitted for these materials and the shipping is correct, then the RSO can approve the order. A Purchase Order

will be created and deliv-ered to the supplier and the radioactive materials will be shipped to the RSO.

Non-Catalog Item Orders For radioactive materials ordered from non-catalog suppliers, use the ‘Non-Catalog Item’ order form. This order form has a check box for Radioactive that must be checked by the shopper, this will ensure that the order is routed to the Radiation Safety Office for review and approval. If the Radioactive category is not checked, the Procurement Department will still have final review before the Purchase Order is created and can return the order to the department with a com-ment to please check the Radioactive category. *Note: All radioactive material or-ders must have the Natural Account code: 331500 ‘RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS’

Changing the Ship to Address The ship to address can be changed by the shopper or by the Radiation Safety Officer (REQ must be assigned to edit Shipping). » Click the ‘edit’ button in the Shipping section of the Requisition to change the Shipping » Choose ‘select from org addresses’Enter ’49 Factory St’ in the popup win-dow and click ‘Search » Click ‘select’ on search results The correct ship to address is now loaded into the order but the ‘Attn:’ field needs changed from the shopper’s name to ‘Alan Watts’. After the Attn: field is changed, click ‘Save’ at the bot-tom of the Ship To window. Blanket PO’s (standing orders) may

be used but these orders need to be placed in ORITS (Online Radioac-tive Isotope Tracking System) so that Radiation Safety is aware your order is coming. For instructions on the Procure-ment of Radioactive Material system, visit http://www.ohio.edu/riskand-safety/docs/radiation/RadManAppen-dix12.pdf and http://www.ohio.edu/riskandsafety/docs/radiation/Rad-ManAppendix12sample.pdf ■

(Continued from page 2)

“The issue with oil and gas develop-ment -- and especially fracking, given the large amount of fluids injected -- is that the deep drilling and fracking bring these NORMs back up to the surface as drill cuttings and wastewa-ter,” said Adam Kron, attorney for the Environmental Integrity Project. “As fracking has rapidly expanded, we’re seeing much more of this radio-active waste, which is a problem, since traditional landfills and wastewater treatment plants aren’t accustomed to handling it,” he said. “In fact, waste-water treatment plants aren’t able to remove radioactivity, and we’re starting to hear accounts of landfills receiving -- and sometimes turning away -- radioactive cuttings and sand from across state lines.” ■

http://www.ellwoodcityledger.com/news/local_news/isn-t-this-radi-ation-naturally-occurring/article_1b064a99-88e1-5df9-b194-efe8b-fee0b29.html?goback=%2Egde_1428887_member_210409188

Isn’t This Radiation Naturally Occurring?

5

OUPD 593-1911 Alan Watts* 593-4176 740-517-5075

Crystal Brooks* 597-2950 330-903-0506

David Schleter* 593-1662 740-591-0557

David Ingram** 593-1705 740-594-7511

Joe Adams*** 593-1667 740-591-9600*RMS Staff**Chair Radiation Safety Committee ***Associate Vice President, Risk Management and Safety

Radiation Safety Emergency Contact Name Office Cell

Spring 2013

Radiation Safety Website- http://www.ohio.edu/riskandsafety/radia-tionsafety/index.htm

Radiation Safety Handbook- http://www.ohio.edu/riskandsafety/radia-tionsafety/rad_saf_handbook.htm

Radiation Safety Newsletters- http://www.ohio.edu/riskandsafety/newsletters.htm

Alan WattsRadiation Safety Officer179 University Service Center(740) 593-4176wattsa@ohio.edu

USEFUL LINKS

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G-M DeteCtORS JOB AID: Inspect the equipment.a. Attach the meter to the probe with the cable.b. Inspect the cable that connects the G-M detector to the survey meter. With the meter on, wiggle the cable near the connectors to see if this causes erratic behavior of sound or display; if so, the cable is defective. c. Inspect the meter for obvious signs of damage (e.g., broken detec-tor window; broken glass on meter face).

Perform a battery check. a. Check the batteries, using the “range” switch or “bat” button; the method depends on the type of instrument. The meter needle should move to an area on scale marked “Bat” indicating the batteries are good. Replace if necessary.

Conduct a source/operational check. a. Place detector close to a check source (e.g., Thorium containing gas lantern mantle in a plastic bag; plastic button “check source”). b. Select appropriate range (e.g., x10). c. Verify meter response. d. If no source is available, assume the meter is working if the re-sponse to background is about 30 to 200 counts per minute (cpm).

Conduct a background reading. a. Expect a reading of 30 to 200 counts per minute.

Conduct the survey (see figure). a. Move the probe slowlyb. Do not let the probe touch anything. c. Pay particular attention to face, feet, and hands. d. Locate the points that produce the most clicks and document the reading. Generally, areas more than twice the pre-determined back-ground are considered contaminated. ■

SAFETY NOTEDo not disconnect or connect the connectors for the co-axial cable on the survey meter when the meter is turned on. You could receive an electric shock.

G-M DeteCtORS JOB AID:

• Check batteries• Take background reading in an uncontaminated area• Scan slowly and close to the object• Record your survey reading