Radioisotope contamination swab

  • Thread starter Thread starter Safia Hall
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Using a cotton swab and ethanol for a wipe test to check for radioactive contaminants in a home setting can provide basic insights, though it may not yield precise results. It's important to conduct a blank or background test to determine the radioactivity of the swab and ethanol combination before testing the object. Professionals typically use known radioactive standards for calibration, but without proper knowledge and equipment, attempting to calibrate results can be risky. For non-professionals, this method can be a simple approach for initial assessments, but caution is advised.
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Which materials are best to use for swabs/swipes to check for contamination?
I was wondering if it was possible to use a simple cotton swab (like those you might buy at the pharmacy) and some ethanol to do a wipe test to check for radioactive contaminants? It's to wipe test an object in my home, would that be sufficient?
 
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If you aren't looking for really precise results, it should be fine. You'll definitely want to do a blank/background (what's the radioactivity of a swab w/ethanol by itself). Professionals also usually have some known radioactive standard against which to calibrate their results, but unless you know what you're doing, I wouldn't mess around with stuff like that.
 

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