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

[Franz Schönhofer]

Jaro, George et. al.,

Since decades I have fought the concepts of gross alpha, gross beta and even
more the GM measurements of "enhanced" radioactivity. As I see, this topic
is still on, though there are such sophisticated instruments available, like
HPGe-detectors. So what? Why make ridiculous speculations like monazite and
wood ash or whatsoever, if a short measurement with a HPGe detector or
probably even a NaI(Tl) detector could clarify the question? 

I would appreciate to know any results of such measurements as an argument
for the unavoidable and wide spread of natural radioactivity. Of course much
more important would be the radionuclide-concentration in the brewed coffee.
If I still had my laboratory at hand I would have been able to send you
results tomorrow. 

In this context I would like to point to my experience during the aftermath
of the Chernobyl accident. We received many samples of teas from both the
Russian and the Turkish border side. They were highly contaminated and
exceeded the maximum contaminant level for foodstuff by far. I argued, that
nobody would eat the tea leaves, but would only consume the tea brewed from
it. Our experiments showed, that the concentration in the brewed tea was of
course(!!!) lower by orders of magnitude by liter. The import of this tea
was allowed. I would expect the same results for coffee from wherever. As a
European I do not like Kona-coffee, because it is much too weak, though I
have some at home from my last visit to Hawaii in early October 2001.
(Hardliners on RADSAFE able to put this date into context? I traveled there
with my younger son, because the probability of being a victim of some
"terrorists" was zero.)

I add a message to Marcel - which I will repeat for any further comment: I
do not understand, why my messages are monitored and sometimes delayed for
several days. After I harshly and severely criticized those distributing
pro-US political and economical opinions, partly from "mil" e-mail accounts
and after fiercly fighting a distainable person using Nazi speak, but though
surprisingly putting me close to the Nazi regime it seems that similar
messages have not been sent to the list - or perhaps Marcel has blocked
them. 

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: Freitag, 28. September 2007 17:59
An: Jaro; RADSAFE
Betreff: Re: [ RadSafe ] Radioactive coffee? .....NORM ?

Certainly it could be the K-40 from fertilizer, or perhaps uptake of Thorium

from the Monazite, but a real
spectrum analysis would tell the tale. I'll be glad to do so free any 
charge.

George Dowell
NLNL
New London Nucleonics Lab
GEOelectronics at netscape.com
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jaro" <jaro-10kbq at sympatico.ca>
To: "RADSAFE" <radsafe at radlab.nl>
Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2007 5:30 PM
Subject: [ RadSafe ] Radioactive coffee? .....NORM ?


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.


Could wood ash fertilizer be responsible ? (plant uptake or soil 
contamination of beans ?)
Or perhaps Brazil's Monazite ?

Thanks in advance.


Jaro
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^




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