Surface degradation of laminated metal ²²⁶Ra foils used in school sealed sources in the UK

Abstract

In the few years leading up to this research, CLEAPSS noticed a small but steadily increasing number of calls from UK schools regarding a red-brown discolouration on the surface of the foil of their radium source. There were no reports of this type of discolouration on foils of other radionuclides. CLEAPSS and the University of Liverpool collaborated to investigate the nature and cause of this discolouration and the likelihood that the foils were becoming unsafe. The evidence indicates that the discolouration is principally caused by some combination of silicon, sulfur and possibly lead from within the foil diffusing into the face layer. There is no indication currently that the face layers are fragmenting on these foils, but the longer-term integrity of the discoloured foils now becomes questionable. Given the age of the foils and the radiotoxicity of radium, the recommendation from this research is that discoloured foils should be taken out of service and disposed of.

Studies large and small: the Bernard Wheatley Award for 2022

“…At a very different spatial scale, Whitcher et al (2022) provide a detailed and well-illustrated detective story in which they try to determine the cause and potential significance of red-brown discolouration observed on the surface of the foil of some radium sources in use in UK schools. This raised the question as to whether such sources were becoming unsafe to use.…”

“…Although there is no indication currently that the face layers are fragmenting on these foils, their longer-term integrity is thought to be questionable. Given the age of the foils and the radiotoxicity of radium, Whitcher et al (2022) recommend that discoloured foils should be taken out of service and disposed. This paper reached our short-list because of the meticulous way in which the various types of observations were used in combination and because of the clear way in which the story of the investigations was told.…”