[ RadSafe ] Radioactive coffee? .....NORM ?

[Peter Bossew]

my first guess is the usual suspect, 40K.


No coffee is growing on Brazil's monazite stained beaches (Guarapari, 
Mearipe), and soil-plant transfer of Th is negligible. But who knows, 
maybe some Ra like in the castanha de Pará. - Btw., a simple gamma 
spectrum will resolve the enigma.

pb



Jaro wrote:
> Would anyone happen to know what NORM there might be in coffee beans, to increase their GM count rate to several times background ? .....such is the result obtained by a friend with various coffees, in different towns.
>
> As you can see in these photos (links from a Google search), the coffee beans are typically sun-dried, following harvesting....
>
> http://www.zihuatanejo.com.mx/cafecosta/dryingcoffee.jpg 
>
> http://wave.wefc.org.sg/ainaro/images/stories/photos/coffee_harvest.jpg 
>
> http://www.usaid.gov/press/frontlines/fl_julaug05/images/qualitycontrol.jpg 
>
> http://www.traveljournals.net/pictures/l/5/51031-women-and-their-6-8-kids-in-tow-picking-coffee-beans-during-harvest-season-antigua-guatemala.jpg
>
> Could wood ash fertilizer be responsible ? (plant uptake or soil contamination of beans ?)
> Or perhaps Brazil's Monazite ?
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
>
> Jaro 
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 
>
>
> http://www.dccoffeeproducts.com/beanbasics.html 
> Bean Basics 
> Harvesting is usually done by hand so that only ripe coffee cherries are selected. 
> After harvesting, coffee is primarily processed using one of two methods to prepare the beans for export and roasting. Wet processing relies on fermentation to separate the coffee beans from their ripe red husk. Most African as well as most Central and South American coffees are wet processed. After soaking in water for several days, the husks are removed and the beans are sun-dried on large brick, cement, or mahogany patios for up to six weeks. The coffee is continually raked by day, and moved into covered buildings by night until the beans are completely dry. 
> The second method is the dry process. The primary difference is that the husk is left to dry around the coffee beans instead of being removed immediately after harvesting. Many Indonesian coffees such as Sumatra, as well as some African coffees, are dry processed. This method imparts more nutrients and fruit-like flavors to the coffee. Once dry, the husks are removed from the beans. 
> Finally, the green coffee is sorted by size, color, density, and flavor to prepare it for auction and export. Before roasting, green coffee can be stored for two years if handled properly.
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-- 


-----------------------------------------------------
Peter Bossew 

European Commission (EC) 
Joint Research Centre (JRC) 
Institute for Environment and Sustainability (IES) 

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Email: peter.bossew at jrc.it 

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