[ RadSafe ] BBC Reports Radioactive poison fear over spy

Tue Nov 21 09:34:57 CST 2006

Ed,

Sorry but Tc-99m Cardiolite and another product called Myoview are alternatives to tl-201 for imaging but they have not replaced it, many hospitals in this country use Tl-201.  We use Tc-99m Myoview.  I believe the principal benefit of Tl-201 is it does not have to be used with a cold kit [organic substance tagged or formulated with Tc-99m] and is cheaper.

Any opinions in this e-mail are solely those of the author, and are not represented as those of the VA Eastern Colorado HCS, the Dept. of Veterans Affairs, or the US Government.

Peter G. Vernig, Radiation Safety Officer, MS-115, VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System, 1055 Clermont St. Denver, CO 80220, peter.vernig at va.gov, Phone= 303.399.8020 x2447; Fax = 303.393.5026, alternate fax, 303.393.5248

"...whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is found to be excellent or praiseworthy, let your mind dwell on these things."

Paul of Tarsus

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl] On Behalf Of edmond0033
Sent: Tuesday, November 21, 2006 8:15 AM
To: North, David; srp-uk at yahoogroups.com; radsafe at radlab.nl
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] BBC Reports Radioactive poison fear over spy 

The hospitals now use a Cardiolite (or similar) with Technetium-99m instead 
of Thallium-201.  The latter is used only in special cases in combination 
with the Technetium-99m.  Maybe the 'Experts' will tell us that the 
Technetium-99m that decays to Technetium-99 is harmful.

Ed Baratta
AOAC General Referee for Radioactivity
Winchester, MA 01890
1-781-729-8313
edmond0033 at comcast.net

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "North, David" <DNorth at Lifespan.org>
To: <srp-uk at yahoogroups.com>; <radsafe at radlab.nl>
Sent: Tuesday, November 21, 2006 9:44 AM
Subject: RE: [ RadSafe ] BBC Reports Radioactive poison fear over spy

If you do the calculation, a standard dose for myocardial imaging is 3 mCi
of thallium-201. The approximate mass of that activity is 14 nanograms.
There may not have been in existence on earth one gram of Tl-201 yet.

David L. North, Sc.M., DABR
Associate Physicist
Medical Physics
Main Bldg. Rm 317
Rhode Island Hospital
593 Eddy St.
Providence, RI 02903
(401)444-5961
fax: (401)444-4446
dnorth at lifespan.org

> ----------
> From: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl on behalf of Franz Schönhofer
> Sent: Tuesday, November 21, 2006 9:14
> To: 'Dawson, Fred Mr'; srp-uk at yahoogroups.com; radsafe at radlab.nl
> Subject: AW: [ RadSafe ] BBC Reports Radioactive poison fear over spy
>
>
> Another "real" expert!!!
>
> The amounts of radioactive Thallium used in hospitals for cardiological
> tests (I had such a test myself a few years ago) are so extremely low in
> terms of mass of Tl, that this "expert" is really ridiculous. If the
> activities were extremely high to cause damage through radiation the
> symptoms would be totally different - as I think everybody knows them. Is
> this profesor John Henry a Greenpeace expert?
>
> The case seems to be extremely simple: Thallium is used as a poison to
> kill
> rats and is popularily known as "rat poison". Its use to poison and kill
> people is probably as old as the element was known and was in earlier
> times
> rather "popular" besides the use of arsenik. It really works as many cases
> have shown very well, but can be easily detected.
>
>
> Best regards,
>
> Franz
>
>
> Franz Schoenhofer
> PhD, MR iR
> Habicherg. 31/7
> A-1160 Vienna
> AUSTRIA
> phone -43-0699-1168-1319
>
>
> > -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
> > Von: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl] Im
> > Auftrag von Dawson, Fred Mr
> > Gesendet: Dienstag, 21. November 2006 14:01
> > An: srp-uk at yahoogroups.com; radsafe at radlab.nl
> > Betreff: [ RadSafe ] BBC Reports Radioactive poison fear over spy
> >
> > BBC Reports Radioactive poison fear over spy
> >
> > http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6167728.stm
> >
> > The Russian dissident ill in a London hospital may have been poisoned
> > with a radioactive substance, an expert toxicologist has said.
> >
> > Professor John Henry said Alexander Litvinenko, 41, had symptoms
> > consistent with thallium poisoning but other symptoms linked to other
> > substances. "It's not 100% thallium," Dr Henry said outside University
> > College Hospital. He said the poison may have been radioactive thallium,
> > which would now be difficult to trace.   Radioactive thallium degrades
> > very rapidly so that by now we've missed the chance.  He said: "It may
> > be too late. If it's a radioactive poison with a short half-life it may
> > have gone.
> >
> > Radioactive thallium is used in hospitals but Dr Henry said it was not
> > used in massive doses consistent with Mr Litvinenko's condition.
> > "Poisons can be taken by mouth, they can be injected, they can be
> > inhaled," he said. "In this case his symptoms are gastro-intestinal so
> > the probability is that he has swallowed something that is poisoned.
> > "Radioactive thallium adds a new dimension to this case. It means that
> > his bone marrow is at very high risk and we have to see how his cells
> > recover. It is very difficult to treat because you have to rely on the
> > body's natural resilience."
> >
> >
> > Fred Dawson
> > Fwp_dawson at hotmail.com
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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