[ RadSafe ] Re: Radiation in landfills

[Phil Rutherford]

There may be some unreported "background subtractions" going on here.  A typical gamma exposure meter these days would be a Bicron Microrem meter.  Typical backgrounds with this instrument would be ~10 microrem/hr.  Coverting to an annual background dose would give 87.6 millirem/year.  Clearly, the reported 26 millirem/year background appears very low.

As an aside, I was amused that the name Rutherford and landfills are making news in Tennessee, given the attention the issue has generated herte in California and to me personally in recent years.  Also, googling some of the recent news stories about the issue, I see that even UCLA is being accused of sending "radioactive waste" to the Middle Point Landfill in Rutherford County, Tennessee (http://www.wsmv.com/news/13318222/detail.html).  What goes around comes around!!!

Phil Rutherford

email at philrutherford.com
http://www.philrutherford.com 
http://apps.em.doe.gov/etec 


  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: BLHamrick at aol.com 
  To: sandyfl at cox.net ; radsafe at radlab.nl 
  Sent: Thursday, July 05, 2007 7:09 PM
  Subject: [ RadSafe ] Re: Radiation in landfills



  I think that the survey measurements were just determining background gamma  
  dose, so wouldn't include the many other contributions to background from  
  inhalation (including radon) and ingestion.
   
  Barbara
   
  In a message dated 7/5/2007 6:43:13 PM Pacific Daylight Time,  
  sandyfl at cox.net writes:

  At least  the article did comment that there is radiation "evrywhere". The 
  public does  react to this radiation when they are told that the 61 mrem 
  determined is 61  times what is allowed in landfills (if the limit is 1 mrem/year).

  What  really doesn't make sense is the other reading of 26 mrem/year 
  extrapolated  dose. Considering that natural background in the area is much higher 
  than  that, the 26 mrem calculated dose, the survey performed is highly  
  questionable. I question the other readings based on this as  well.


   



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