[ RadSafe ] Myth Busters and Irradiated Cockroaches - Jan 30

[Geo>K0FF]

http://www.hi-tm.com/Documents/Irrad.html



The link above shows some data concerning food irradiation and the doses
used for disinfestation of several organisms. The killing dose shown for
insects is in the 0.22 to .0.93 kGy range. For viruses, it is in the 10 to 
40 kGy range.



We have a large food processing plant not far from here, using Co-60 to
irradiate raw materials that go into cake mixes and other food products.

I routinely monitor this plant for radiation leakage, but have found none so
far, but the same survey did turn up a particular problematic industrial
X-Ray unit is a manufacturing plant in the same industrial park. This "leak"
could be detected 3/4 mile away. Interestingly, the safety manager
immediately tested the operator's TLDs and reportedly found no exposure.



Somewhere I read that the largest irradiators in use are to kill natural
occurring anthrax on wool.



Some interesting books on FI, Food Irradiation:

High-Dose Irradiation: Wholesomeness of Food Irradiated with Doses above 10
kGy - Report of a Joint FAO/IAEA/WHO Study Group (Technical Report Series,
No 890) (ISBN: 9241208902)
World Health Organization Press



Safety of Irradiated Foods, Second Edition, (ISBN: 0824793447)
Johannes Friedrich Diehl, P. Ed. Diehl, J. F. Diehl



Here is the USDA Food Irradiation Bibliographic Database



http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodirad/intro.html





George Dowell

NLNL

New London Nucleonics Lab