Technical information

Technical Information 2

ECD Management in EMEA and IDO Countries 17

4 Cap the inlet and outlet fittings when the ECD is not in use.

5 Connect the ECD exhaust vent to a fume hood or vent to the outside in

some other acceptable manner whenever the ECD is in use.

ECD warnings

Although beta particles at this energy level have little penetrating power (the

surface layer of the skin or a few sheets of paper will stop most of them), they

may be hazardous if the isotope is ingested or inhaled. For this reason, the cell

must be handled with care, radioactive leak tests must be performed at

intervals required by your local Nuclear Agency, the inlet and outlet fittings

must be capped when the ECD is not in use, corrosive chemicals must not be

introduced into the detector, and the detector must be properly vented outside

the laboratory environment.

WARNING

Materials that may react with the

Ni source, either to form volatile products or to

cause physical degradation of the plated film, must be avoided. These materials

include oxidizing compounds, acids, wet halogens, wet nitric acid, ammonium

hydroxide, hydrogen sulfide, PCPs and carbon monoxide. This list is not exhaustive

but indicates the kinds of compounds that may cause damage to

Ni detectors.

WARNING

In the extremely unlikely event that both the oven and the ECD heated zone should go

into thermal runaway (maximum, uncontrolled heating in excess of 400 °C) at the

same time and that the ECD remains exposed to this condition for more than

12 hours, the following must be done:·

• After turning off the main power and allowing the instrument to cool, cap the ECD

inlet and exhaust vent openings. Wear disposable plastic gloves and observe

normal safety precautions.

• Return the cell to Agilent Technologies following instructions included in this

booklet (see Chapter3).

It is unlikely, even in this very unusual situation, that radioactive material will

escape from the cell. However, permanent damage to the

Ni plating within the cell

is possible and, therefore, the cell must be returned for exchange.