Contamination is not found in steel when cesium has been melted. Cobalt forms an alloy with steel. A ventilation hood in a melt shop collects dust from the furnace. At some mills, the furnace is ventilated while it is operating. When a furnace is opened, a plume of dust rises up to the hood, but not all of the plume enters the hood.
Inhalation exposures are more than just a function of the collection efficiency.
Predicted exposures are complicated by the rate at which radionuclides are purged from molten steel. Little is known about the purge rate. In addition to the above points, predicting exposures from inhaling and ingesting radioactive material, as well as external exposures, is difficult owing to differences in facilities. Difficulties in determining health impacts at a melt shop. Unless a facility has many nuclear devices, there is seldom one person whose only responsibility is the care of nuclear gauges.