Radioactive catalyst for fluorescent lamps

And now again Radioactive Incidents.

But this time-the standard catalyst for fluorescent lamps, well, or, as they are called - tubes with a spark gap. These devices have been and continue to be used in places as triggers for compact fluorescent lamps, as well as in electrical thermostats and other specialty products. I only had access to the 1991 report, and it says that the production of these devices that year was one hundred and seventy-four million units. 174 000 000. Yes. For a year. For a year, when they were already removed from production. Where they all went, no one knows, by the way? There was no special recycling program for them. Well, Yes, in principle, most of these things were not…

Okay. The sources usually consisted of 1-9 MCCs of Co-60, Ni-63, Kr-85, Pm-147, or Th-232. Today, most starters with fluorescent lamps do not use them. But not all. In principle, because they were not banned.