AW: [ RadSafe ] Radiation in landfills

[Franz Schönhofer]

George (?),

Thank you for distributing on RADSAFE very basic textbook facts - we often
need the references for it. Though I have to say that I prefer to discuss on
RADSAFE advanced topics. 

I have been on the Austrian Standardisation Working Group on Incorporation
Decontamination and I used to joke about the elimination of tritium, by
advising the consumption of beer. We all had a very good laugh, but it was
because of political correctness not possible to mention beer explicitely -
we had to recommend large amounts of beverages.

I hope you are aware, that beer would not prevent any negative influence of
poisonous heavy metals, organic compounds nor of bacteria and virus. It
might make you feel better.....

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 Geo>K0FF
Gesendet: Dienstag, 17. Juli 2007 19:27
An: Brennan, Mike (DOH); radsafe at radlab.nl
Betreff: Re: [ RadSafe ] Radiation in landfills

Hi Mike, good news, drinking  BEER is the antidote for H3 uptake. Enjoy
http://www.hps.org/publicinformation/ate/q3753.html


There are a LOT or tritium atoms in an exit sign. ( ~25 Curies or 2.5 mg)
SEE:
http://www.ecolo.org/documents/documents_in_english/tritium_exit_signs-07.ht
m

http://www.epa.gov/radtown/exit-signs.htm

Exit signs are generally licensed, but can only be transferred to a person 
who are licensed, not dumped in a landfill. See the notification here:
http://www.orau.org/PTP/collection/radioluminescent/h3exitsignl.htm
Disposal fees range from $65.00- $130.00 USD.


Tritium, H3 is a pure low energy  beta emitter. 100% 0.018601 MeV, T/2= 
12.280 Years. (C. Hacker Ver. 3.6)


George DowellNLNLNew London Nucleonics Lab56791 Rivere Au Sel Pl.New London,

MO 63459GEOelectronics at Netscape.com573-221-3418
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Brennan, Mike (DOH)" <Mike.Brennan at DOH.WA.GOV>
To: <radsafe at radlab.nl>
Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2007 11:12 AM
Subject: RE: [ RadSafe ] Radiation in landfills


Hi, Franz.

I have on several occasions sampled leachete from land fills, and our lab 
has reported finding tritium at puzzling concentrations.  The consensus is 
that the tritium comes from exit signs that were disposed of in the 
landfill, and on which the tubes containing the tritium gas were broken when

the garbage was compacted.

While I don't have a solid reason, I remain dubious of this explanation.  It

doesn't "feel" right to me.  I asked the chemists about contaminates that 
might give false positives some how, and was told that the lab was confident

that was not the case.  I remain very open to suggestions beyond exit signs 
and watch hands, or, as one of our activist groups claims, midnight dumpings

of drums of reactor primary coolant water into the landfill.

I am, however, quite satisfied of one thing: the tritium in the leachete 
does not constitute a public health risk.  Should someone be drinking enough

leachete to gain a noticeable body burden (and do it on a regular basis, as 
tritium has a 12 day biological half-life, and they would need to replenish 
often), they should live so long that the rad becomes a health issue.  The 
chemical hazards are far greater, though my bet is that the pathogens would 
get them first.  That they would drink landfill leachete in the first place 
hints at some non-trivial mental health issues that I would really have 
someone look into.



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