Geiger counter and radioactivity detected

Submitted by Anonymous on Sat, 2011-04-30 19:16

Hi, I posted a few days ago in regard to a piece of furniture I own that concerns me because it's from an area next to Ukraine. I had read that the wood used to build furniture in East Europe can be dangerous because contaminated. I had somebody scanning it with a Geiger counter, and the result was about 40 counts per minute. I was wondering if that was concerning, or not. I have read that no there is no safe radioactivity level, but the person who did the scan said that it was normal due to background radiation.

Anybody can give me some insight about this? It is very important for me to know if it is safe to keep, especially because it's my small child' bed.

Thanks so much.

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The count might be slightly

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 2011-04-30 19:59.

The count might be slightly elevated depending on the metals used as support to the furniture. Chromed pieces emit slightly higher than background readings from naturally unstable chrome atoms. Leather will exhibit this same elevation as chromium is used to tan hides.

Steel will have a higher value as well as baked emamaled parts that contain a small amount of Uranium and Thorium in the glaze, like most dinnerware.

But your reading sounds fine, and should present no problems.

The person doing the reading

Submitted by tjaucott on Sat, 2011-04-30 19:31.

The person doing the reading should have first taken a background count; for example, just holding the Geiger counter in the air away from the furniture. This gives you an idea of how much background is around, and whether or not the object of interest is actually contaminated. I agree with the previous commenter, though, that 40 cpm is likely an average background.

Remember, whether or not you believe that there is no safe level of radioactivity, it is all around us from natural sources.

Tim [BRAWM Team Member]

Thank you, Tim. I wish I

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 2011-04-30 19:45.

Thank you, Tim. I wish I would have known this before, so that the reading would have been more accurate. I feel more comfortable now, although I would like to know if you would have it scanned again in order to feel completely safe.

Again, thanks so much.

Probably Background Radiation

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 2011-04-30 19:21.

If you look at any of the sites that report radiation
across the US, you'll see that background radiation is
anywhere between 5-60 CPM (counts per minute). It varies
a lot depending on location.

http://radiationnetwork.com/
https://cdxnode64.epa.gov/radnet-public/showMap.do
http://www.blackcatsystems.com/RadMap/

Relax and enjoy your furniture :-)

Thank you for your reply. I

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 2011-04-30 19:46.

Thank you for your reply. I do feel more comfortable now :)