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Answer to Question #909 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"Category: Environmental and Background Radiation — General The following question was answered by an expert in the appropriate field: Q
I have been into many of the old buildings on Hunters Point (HP) Naval Shipyard near San Francisco. As an artist I am compelled to visit places with decaying metals and objects. HP has an abundance of both. I have heard about mishandling of plutonium, cesium, cobalt, etc., on the base. I find it disturbing as I had been on the base several times to take pictures. How can I tell if I have taken a large dose of radiation or any at all? I carried film with me into the buildings and took many photos inside and out. None of the film seems to have any marks or fog, but I am not sure what to look for.
A
To get to the latter part of the message, photographic film is one of the most common methods of measuring an individual's exposure to radiation. Radiation "fogs" the film just like the film is fogged by darkroom light leakage. The changes in the optical density of the developed film is used to determine the radiation dose to which the film was exposed. Very low levels of radiation can be detected/measured using film. Since it was mentioned that "none of the film seems to have any marks or fog," it is highly unlikely that one was exposed to any radiation levels that should be of concern. If the photographs do not appear "overexposed" there has probably not been exposure to significant levels of radiation. The Hunters Point Naval Shipyard remains under federal jurisdiction under the control of the U.S. Navy and its use of radioactive materials subject to regulation by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission through the "master" license issued to the U.S. Navy. The Navy's Radiological Affairs Support Office (RASO) has responsibility for the radioactive materials at Navy facilities. That office should have radiation surveys of the facilities at Hunters Point and should be able to provide radiation information at buildings and other areas of the site. Contacts at RASO include Richard W. Lowman and Pat Haworth. Edgar Bailey, CHP Dept. of Health Services Radiologic Health Branch State of California
Answer posted on 25 May 2001. The information and material posted on this website is intended as general reference information only. Specific facts and circumstances may alter the concepts and applications of materials and information described herein. The information provided is not a substitute for professional advice and should not be relied upon in the absence of such professional advice specific to whatever facts and circumstances are presented in any given situation. Answers are correct at the time they are posted on the Website. Be advised that over time, some requirements could change, new data could be made available, or Internet links could change. For answers that have been posted for several months or longer, please check the current status of the posted information prior to using the responses for specific applications.
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