Linde North America, Inc. KRYPTON-85

Krypton-85 is a radioactive gas found in the atmosphere and produced by nuclear explosions, nuclear power plants , volcanoes and earthquakes. Krypton-85 is odorless, colorless and tasteless and emits low level radiation levels of both gamma and beta rays. Krypton-85 is usually produced in gas mixtures with argon or xenon to improve the ionization in light bulbs by reducing their starting voltage . It also is used in plasma display, spark gaps and for leak detection. Linde Electronics and Specialty Gases' Material Data Safety Sheets are available for krypton-85 gas mixtures and should be used as guidelines in regard to first aid, methods of storage, handling and general use . Krypton-85 decays by beta decay into rubidium-85 , with a half life of 10.756 years and a maximum decay energy of 0.687 MeV (No t e : a 687 k eV elect r on — beta particle and a 514 k eV photon — gamma ray)