Nuclear Technology May Soon Be Cleaning Homes
A Tennessee research chemist named Ron Simandl helped invent a dust rag to mop up deadly beryllium particles, which are 20 times smaller than what can be seen with the naked eye. Originally designed to clean up his own laboratories, Simandl said it may soon be used on the site of industrial accidents and eventually in the home. He filed a patent application early this year.
The name for his product is a mouthful: “Negligible-Residue Non-tacky Tack Cloth.” But Simandl said that will change if the rag eventually comes to market.
Simandl said he won’t reveal the ingredients behind his discovery, only saying it is a treatment that can be applied to any rag. He said he’s tested the formula on cheesecloth for sixth months, using it to pick up not only radiological contaminants but also metal, plastic and ceramic. He thinks it would work equally well on any spare piece of fabric.
Marilyn Giles, the technology transfer for the Oak Ridge, Tenn. Y-12 nuclear plant Simandl works at, said she is trying to sell the discovery. She said it would not be an expensive product for a cleaning company to begin developing.
Simandl said he devised the treatment with a partner, Scott Hollenback, to solve a question he had contemplating for thirty years: how to clean up a nearly-invisible particle. Prolonged exposure to Beryllium can lead to cancer and respiratory problems, and the Y-12 plant has had to compensate workers in the past who have had exposure to the deadly metal.
Over 140 current and former workers from the Y-12 plant show signs of sensitivity to the element, a spokesman for the plant said.
Simandl said he struggled with a solution for years. He said no commercial cleaner or wipe was capable of picking up the particles and all left residues behind. His solution leaves no trace and is dry to the touch, he said.
The treatment has already passed its first test: Simandl’s car. He said he tried his new substance out in his garage and successfully shine the wheels of his car. He said he thinks it would work equally well on golf clubs.
A spokeswoman for the Institute of Environmental Sciences and Technologies said she was interested. Heather Dvorak told the Associated Press in an e-mail that she had a number of questions that needed answering before she could recommend the glove.
