Exploratory Experiments on the Possible Use of Radioactive Waste Materials in Wood Industries

Large quantities of gamma emitters are found in fission waste products, but they are usually in dilute, unprocessed form. In exploring the effects of radiation on wood, it proved expedient to employ a 10 kilocurie cobalt 60 source installed at the Univ. of Michigan. Dosage rates could vary over an approximate range of 2,000 to 300,000 rep per hour in the irradiation cave, but in this project irradiation was limited to a range of 5,000 to 10,000 rep per hour. In general the net effect of gamma radiation would seem to be degradation of the wood substance. Observations revealed that while mycelia growth on controls was normal, irradiated specimens were free from attack.

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