[ RadSafe ] [nuclear news] Quick facts: The effects of radiation from a dirty bomb

[Sandy Perle]

Quick facts: The effects of radiation from a dirty bomb 

(CP) - Canadians are exposed daily to small amounts of natural 
background radiation from the ground, building materials, air, food, 
cosmic rays from outer space and naturally occurring elements in the 
human body. Man-made radiation sources typically include X-rays, 
televisions and smoke detectors. 

Radiation exposure is measured by a unit called a millisievert (mSv). 
Most Canadians can expect to receive between two and four mSv each 
year. 

Ionizing radiation is the type encountered by workers in the nuclear 
industry and those who use X-ray equipment, for example. The Canadian 
Nuclear Safety Commission limits workplace exposure to 50 mSv in a 
single year and 100 mSv over five years (an average of 20 mSv per 
year). 

Long-term or sudden exposure to higher amounts of radiation can cause 
illness or even death. Extremely high levels of acute radiation 
exposure can kill a person within a few hours, days or weeks 
depending on the dose. Death is often due to bone marrow damage 
causing infection and internal bleeding. 

In less extreme cases, chronic exposure to radiation levels exceeding 
safety guidelines may increase the risk of cancer, benign tumours, 
cataracts, birth defects and nausea. Anemia may require blood 
transfusions. 

Any amount of radiation can disrupt cellular systems. However, the 
human body can generally replace cells damaged by low doses. Amounts 
of radiation received in cancer treatment, for example, may be high 
enough to cause some symptoms of radiation sickness. 

Even tiny amounts of some materials can deliver fatally high doses of 
radiation. Former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko had traces of 
polonium-210 in his urine when he died in a London hospital last 
November. He accused the Russian government of poisoning him in 
retaliation for his public criticism of heavy-handed tactics.
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Governor Rendell Says State's Radiation Protection Act Strengthened 

HARRISBURG, Pa. (Map) - Governor Edward G. Rendell said today that 
the Department of Environmental Protection, Pennsylvania Emergency 
Management Agency and state police will be better able to protect the 
public and monitor nuclear and radiological activities in the 
commonwealth following passage of House Bill 496.

"I applaud the General Assembly for acting in the best interests of 
the commonwealth," said Governor Rendell. "With this bill, the 
commonwealth will be better equipped to monitor nuclear power plant 
and transportation activities and protect the public's health and 
safety."

HB 496 amends the state Radiation Protection Act (Act 147).

Similar to other states with nuclear power reactors, HB 496 
authorizes and sets reasonable, annual plant fees to cover DEP's 
independent nuclear safety oversight, emergency response and 
environmental surveillance activities.

Nuclear power plant fees collected by PEMA will fund interagency 
coordination and county emergency preparedness. The new amendments to 
Act 147 also allow the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) to escort 
certain large shipments of radioactive material and waste transported 
through the state.

Among those fees included or amended in Act 147 are: -- A one-time 
fee of $100,000 per site to DEP from any entity that holds, or has 
applied for, a nuclear power reactor operating license from the U.S. 
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and an increased annual fee of 
$400,000 to $550,000 per site; -- A one-time fee of $150,000 per site 
to PEMA from any entity that holds or has applied for a nuclear power 
reactor operating license from the NRC, and an increased annual fee 
from $200,000 to $350,000 per site; -- Fees to DEP, PEMA and PSP that 
cover oversight and escort expenses incurred by the commonwealth to 
ship spent nuclear fuel and other large quantity radioactive 
materials through the state; and -- Continued fees under Act 147 that 
allow DEP and the Environmental Quality Board to regulate radiation 
sources users (e.g., x-ray or radioactive materials).  

After 2009, two working groups of DEP and PEMA personnel, with 
representatives of the state's nuclear facilities, shall review 
program expenses and issue a report to the legislature recommending 
any fee changes deemed appropriate.

The state's General Fund does not support the commonwealth's 
radiation protection programs. Act 147 and HB 496 direct that fees be 
used to support three special funds created under the legislation: 
the radiation protection, radiation emergency response, and radiation 
transportation emergency response. These special funds help pay for 
work by DEP, PEMA and numerous counties to monitor nuclear power 
plant operations, train and prepare for emergency response actions, 
purchase new equipment and coordinate protection when nuclear 
materials are transported.

"With the homeland security needs of our state today, it's important 
that our state, county and local personnel be trained and equipped to 
respond quickly and properly to any nuclear or radiation emergency," 
said Governor Rendell. "Emergency preparedness takes continued 
training and the latest equipment, and this bill will provide the 
resources necessary to achieve that."

Act 147 requires DEP and PEMA to develop a Radiation Emergency 
Response Program for incorporation into the state's emergency plan. 
The emergency plan must address the potential for nuclear accidents 
or incidents, the radiological consequences, and the protective 
measures needed to mitigate the effects of these accidents or 
incidents on the public.

The fees provided for under HB 496 allow such work to continue and 
provide for improvements.

For more information on the state's radiation protection program, 
statutes and regulations, visit http://www.depweb.state.pa.us, 
keyword: Radiation.

The Rendell administration is committed to creating a first-rate 
public education system, protecting our most vulnerable citizens and 
continuing economic investment to support our communities and 
businesses. To find out more about Governor Rendell's initiatives and 
to sign up for his weekly newsletter, visit his Web site at: 
http://www.governor.state.pa.us.
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Russia's nuclear plant may not meet Iranian timeframe 15 minutes ago
 
WASHINGTON (AFP) - Russia indicated Tuesday that a nuclear reactor 
plant it is constructing in Iran could not be completed in two months 
as expected by Tehran, citing "technical and economic questions." 
 
Russian news agencies had quoted a senior Iranian nuclear official as 
saying that Tehran hoped to start operations at the Bushehr power 
plant soon after its completion in two months.

But Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Kislyak, speaking at a 
press conference in Washington, said the time frame was "too 
ambitious."

He was asked to comment about the differences between Russia and Iran 
on the project and on reported remarks by Mohamed Amiri, the head of 
a group of Iranian nuclear and radiation safety agencies, that the 
plant would be completed by September and that Russian delivery of 
atomic fuel was imminent.

"What I know about the timing is that it would be, I think ... too 
ambitious to say that it would be completed within two months," 
Kislyak said.

"It's not doable, physically, because the state of development 
requires, I think, a number of additional months to complete it. And 
certainly, they need to sort out all these technical and economic 
questions that need to be resolved," he said, without elaborating on 
the problems.

"So the issue of sending fuel to Iran is not something that we'll 
have to resolve tomorrow," he said.

The project has been hit by successive delays and mutual accusations 
that either side were not living up to their financial obligations.

The Unites States, which is leading international efforts to stop 
Iran's controversial nuclear activities, has urged Russia to halt 
work on the plant.

Iranian officials have on occasion accused Russia of being half-
hearted in finishing the project at a time when the United States is 
pushing for more sanctions over Iran's nuclear program.

But Kislyak stressed that work on the Bushehr plant would continue, 
saying it was "fully compliant with all the requirements" of the 
global atomic watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency 
(IAEA), and based on a "win-win" formula.

"And I would say that the arrangement around Bushehr is an example of 
what Iran would be well-advised to choose as a method and way of 
developing its nuclear energy, whereby it gets a reactor based on 
cooperation with other countries," he said.

"And from the point of view of nonproliferation, it's one of the best 
schemes one can envisage," he said.

Robert Joseph, the special US envoy on nuclear non-proliferation who 
was with Kislyak at the news conference, accused Iran of violating 
its nuclear safeguards agreement.

"Iran, of course, is in violation of its safeguards obligations and 
there are many questions that are still outstanding with regard to 
the IAEA's investigation of the Iranian nuclear program," he said.'
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Legislator receive 1.5 km-long banner rejecting nuclear power plant

Semarang, Central Java (ANTARA News) - The Central Java legislative 
body (DPRD) on Tuesday received a 1.5 km-long banner containing 
thousands of signatures rejecting the government`s plan to set up a 
nuclear power plant in the Muria peninsula, Jepara district. 

Academicians of the Semarang-based Soegijapranata Catholic University 
(Unika) handed over the banner after holding a meeting with the 
legislative body.

Nuclear energy was not a solution to the electrical power crisis as 
the country still had a lot of alternative energy sources such as 
water and biofuel to generate electricity, Hermawan Pancasiwi, 
assistant to the dean of the university`s school of law, said. 

"A nuclear power plant poses great risks to human beings` safety. The 
Chernobyl radiation leakage and accidents in other nuclear power 
plants prove that nuclear energy is not the proper answer to our need 
for greater power supply," he said.

Nuclear radiation leakages could occur in industrialized nations, the 
more so in developing nations which in general were not properly 
prepared for nuclear power plants. "Have the Indonesian human 
resources been prepared for a nuclear power plant with all its 
consequences?" he asked. 

Meanwhile, Rukma Setia Budi, chief of the legislative body`s 
commission D, said the legislature also did not agree with the plan 
to build a nuclear power plant in the peninsula.

He said the government should review its plan which had come under 
fire from the general public. 

Environment Minister Rachmat Witoelar said last month the 
government`s plan to set up a nuclear power plant in the peninsula 
was not yet final.

Speaking to the press after delivering a keynote speech at a seminar 
to mark the 50th anniversary of Diponegoro University (Undip), the 
minister said the government appreciated the people`s objections to 
its plan to build a nuclear power plant in the area.

He said his office was keeping a close watch on what was being done 
to implement the plan, including the tackling of the project`s 
environmental aspects which normally had to be done by an analysis 
and assessment of the project`s possible impact on the local 
environment. 

As long as the proposed nuclear power plant had not yet been built, 
the plan should be considered as just a "discourse" so that there was 
no need for people to make a fuss about it too often, Rachmat said. 

He said his ministry was not in a position to decide whether the plan 
would be continued or not but it would keep abreast of the process, 
among others, by requiring the project to be covered by an 
environmental impact analysis (Amdal).
---------------

GE sees nuclear projects in Europe, China

HELSINKI (Reuters) - General Electric Co. (NYSE:GE - news) sees 
opportunities in nuclear investments in Europe and China, but a 
nuclear boom in the United States would require some form of carbon 
emission pricing, GE's Chief Executive said. 
 
GE Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt told Finnish financial daily 
Kauppalehti GE believes it could win at least one major nuclear 
project in the Baltic countries, Poland or elsewhere in eastern 
Europe, where nuclear energy is currently being considered.

"First, carbon emissions need to be given a price in some way. If 
that is done, nuclear power investments will surge everywhere, not 
just in the United States," Immelt told Kauppalehti in comments 
published on Tuesday.

Immelt told the paper GE expects nuclear deals from China after five 
to 10 years, but not so much from Russia unless it was with a Russian 
partner.

New nuclear projects are currently planned also in Finland, but 
Immelt said GE would not necessarily be interested in them.

"This needs not to be taken the wrong way, as I am not saying 
'definitely not'. We just want to see how everything goes and which 
technology is chosen," Immelt said.

Finnish utility Teollisuuden Voima (TVO) is currently building the 
country's fifth nuclear reactor and the first new reactor in western 
Europe for more than a decade.

GE took part aggressively in the bidding for the TVO project so2me 
years ago, Immelt said, but lost to a consortium led by France's 
Areva (CEPFi.PA). 
------------------

Scan risks exposed 

Courier Mail, Australia - GENERAL practitioners are exposing their 
patients to high doses of radiation, and potentially cancer, by 
ordering unnecessary CT scans, a study has found.

Researchers reviewed 50 requests for computed tomography scans of the 
chest at two private radiology practices in Cairns between August 
2004 and March 2005. 
About two-thirds were considered inappropriate and could have been 
avoided or replaced by tests with lower radiation exposure, they 
said.

Cairns Base Hospital respiratory physician Graham Simpson, one of the 
study authors, said CT scans exposed patients to 400 times the 
radiation of an X-ray.

"GPs are requesting these because they're scared of getting sued. In 
the current climate, everyone wants to do every hi-tech test they can 
so that nobody can say that they didn't do everything," Dr Simpson 
said.

"All the GPs I've spoken to have been absolutely horrified when 
they've learnt what the dose of radiation involved is.

"Nobody ever really thinks that that can have a consequence of 
causing cancer down the track but they should."

Medicare Australia statistics show that more than 235,000 CT scans of 
the chest were performed by private radiology practices in 2004-05.

That excludes those performed in public hospitals and those billed to 
the Veterans Affairs Department.

"Assuming that 70 per cent of requests (the average of the estimates 
from the two radiology practices) come from GPs and that two-thirds 
are inappropriate, this means that there may be an annual cost to 
Australian taxpayers of over $35 million for unnecessary CT 
examinations of the chest," the authors wrote in the latest Medical 
Journal of Australia.

They said the International Commission on Radiological Protection had 
estimated an overall risk of one fatal cancer for every 2000 to 3000 
CT scans of the chest performed.

That translates to about 40 fatal cancers a year in Australia.

Dr Simpson said the figure did not include avoidable CT scans being 
ordered for other parts of the body.

In a corresponding editorial in the MJA, radiologists Richard 
Mendelson and Conor Murray said specialists were aware that 
diagnostic imaging was often inappropriately used.

"Perhaps up to a third of radiological examinations are totally or 
partially unnecessary," they wrote.

However, they said prohibiting referrals for CT scans by GPs would 
result in unacceptable stress on specialist services, long waiting 
times and, probably, increased costs.

The radiologists called for more education for GPs and for 
specialists to take on a wider consultative role.
-----------------

VY contractor fired for failing to check room's radiation levels

BRATTLEBORO -- A contracted employee was fired from his job at 
Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant after he violated Entergy policies 
and Nuclear Regulatory Commission regulations. 
The contractor, with 31 years of experience as a radiation protection 
technician, was fired for not conducting a radiation survey of the 
reactor's water clean up room "prior to allowing access to an 
auxiliary operator," according to a statement from the NRC. 

No one was harmed by the technician's failure to check the radiation 
level in the room, said Larry Smith, spokesman for Vermont Yankee, 
and Entergy does not tolerate such violations. 

"He is no longer working for Entergy," Smith said. 

The incident in question occurred Aug. 17, 2006, when the contractor 
failed to check the occupational dose limits of radiation in the room 
and allowed a plant technician to enter the room, according to the 
NRC statement. 

"The NRC further determined that the technician's actions were 
willful, in careless disregard for the requirements," wrote David C. 
Lew, the director of the NRC's division of reactor projects. 

Vermont Yankee supervisors were not to blame for the incident, wrote 

Because the contractor had 31 years of experience, wrote Lew, "it was 
reasonable to expect (that he) would not need significant oversight 
to perform this task." 

Therefore, "the violation appeared to be an isolated action of the 
employee without management involvement and was not caused by a lack 
of management oversight." 

Entergy is required to report such incidents to the NRC and was 
commended for its quick response in the matter. 

"The NRC gave us a non-cited violation because of our strong and 
prompt actions following the incident," he added.
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Sander C. Perle
President
Global Dosimetry Solutions, Inc.
2652 McGaw Avenue
Irvine, CA 92614 

Tel: (949) 296-2306 / (888) 437-1714  Extension 2306
Fax:(949) 296-1144

E-Mail: sperle at dosimetry.com
E-Mail: sandyfl at cox.net 

Global Dosimetry Website: http://www.dosimetry.com/