AW: [ RadSafe ] Radiation Dose from Consumer Products

[Franz Schönhofer]

Thomas,

Having some decades ago a teacher at a high school I would have changed the
subject to the question of risk perception. You probably know, that the dose
for smokers comes mostly from Po-210 inhaled. The amount of Po-210 in
tobacco depends on the environment and the soil where the tobacco plants
have grown. Tobacco plants are also known to accumulate to some extent
Cs-137, especially after an accident like the Chernobyl one, because of its
big leaves. 

As to the way of consumation of tobacco: Though I am an absolute non-smoker
I can say, that chewing tobacco should have the least effect, because to my
knowledge the saliva enriched by tobacco constituents is not swallowed but
spit on the ground of somewhere else, depending on the education of the
chewer...... Snuff will most likely enter the body via the gastrointestinal
tract. Smoking will deposit Po-210 in the lung. Filters have been introduced
to remove certain tar products, but I could imagine that even some Po-210
might be removed by condensation. 

Concerning the dose compared to marijuana or opium I would ask the students
to donate some of the stuff in their posession to start a research
project.....

The dose from second hand smoking will without doubt be much lower, because
of the dilution of the smoke.

But overall - as said in the beginning - I would point to the fact, that
compared to the risk of radioactivity inhaled (good comparison: radon) the
risk from benz-a-pyrene etc. to contract lung cancer is higher by orders of
magnitude, not to talk about the risks of opium consumption. Therefore I
would not regard spending money for research into for instance different
brands or menthol as being justified.

Best regards,

Franz 

Franz Schoenhofer, PhD
MinRat i.R.
Habicherg. 31/7
A-1160 Wien/Vienna
AUSTRIA


-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl] Im Auftrag
von Johnston, Thomas
Gesendet: Dienstag, 27. Februar 2007 17:06
An: Academic-Medical Radiation Safety Officers listserve; radsafe at radlab.nl
Betreff: [ RadSafe ] Radiation Dose from Consumer Products

Question?

During my lecture yesterday a Ph.D. raised several questions regarding
radiation doses from Consumer Products.

1. Has it been determined the dose from chewing tobacco (and snuff, etc)
vs. smoking tobacco (and vs. Brand, menthol, nonmenthol, filter,
nonfilter)?

2. Dose from smoking tobacco vs. marijuana, opium, etc.?

3. Dose from inhaling ETS (environmental tobacco smoke, i.e. second hand
smoke)?

 

 

Thank you in advance for all replies.

Best regards,

 

Thomas P. Johnston

Radiation Safety Officer

New York Medical College

Valhalla, NY 10595

914-594-4448 office

914-594-3665 fax

914-557-5950 mobile

tom_johnston at nymc.edu

 

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