AW: [ RadSafe ] What Are Radionuclear Materials?

[Franz Schönhofer]

Doug, Scott and RADSAFErs,

As you all know, I am not a native speaker, but some say that I have a good
command of English and many say that I have a good feeling for terms.

I have never heard before the term "radionuclear" and this though all
relevant scientific literature is in English. I consume quite a lot of
scientific literature. 

My feeling is that the term "...nuclear..." will provoke at the very first
moment an association to "nuclear bomb" or "nuclear power". So it did for
me. My second association was, that this might come from greens. They are
masters (or they hire them) to create words, which could intimitate or at
least create a negative reputation for anything nuclear. One example, which
I hope I can explain well enough for non-German speakers:

In about the 70's there was a fierce debate within the green groups on how
to call "nuclear power" in their pamphlets, their propaganda and in their
press releases. In German "nucleus" is "Kern". But this is also used for the
stones of cherries, apricot, plums, grapes etc. as well as a synonym for
"center". The all-German translation of Nuclear Power Plant is
"Kernkraftwerk" abbreviated KKW. The top greens insisted, that this term was
not to be used by them, because it would "downplay" the horrors of NPP by
associating them to fruits and other harmless things. Instead there had to
be used the term "Atomkraftwerk", because "Atom" would automatically be
associated with "Atombombe" (nuclear bomb).

I hope this explains, why I am much against such a term. Additionally I
think we need not invent new terms, we have enough. 


Finally a joke in this context, distributed in Austria some decades ago: The
people of a certain province (no name!) have bought the whole Austrian
harvest of cherries. - Why? - They want to construct a Kernkraftwerk.

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 Doug Aitken
Gesendet: Sonntag, 20. September 2009 21:39
An: 'Scott, Bobby'; radsafe at radlab.nl
Betreff: RE: [ RadSafe ] What Are Radionuclear Materials?

I don't see a problem with the term.
Radioactive isotopes are often called radionuclides, so why not radionuclear
materials? Is seems a self-evident term, certainly more meaningful than the
common nuclear material, that really does not mean anything....

Regards
Doug

___________________________________
Doug Aitken
QHSE Advisor
D&M Operations Support
jdaitken at sugar-land.oilfield.slb.com
Mail: c/o Therese Wigzell,
Schlumberger,
Drilling & Measurements HQ,
300 Schlumberger Drive, MD15,
Sugar Land, Texas 77478

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl [mailto:radsafe-bounces at radlab.nl] On Behalf
Of Scott, Bobby
Sent: Friday, September 18, 2009 6:39 PM
To: radsafe at radlab.nl
Subject: [ RadSafe ] What Are Radionuclear Materials?

Colleagues:

 

The terminology "radionuclear material" appears in some recent
publications that relate to possible future food supply contamination
carried out by terrorist (e.g., WHO 2002; Mohtadi and Murshid 2009).
Can someone define or explain what is meant by radionuclear material?
Isn't this improper terminology?

 

Bobby R. Scott

Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute

2425 Ridgecrest Drive SE

Albuquerque, NM 87108 USA

 

References

 

Mohtadi H, Murshid AP. 2009. Risk analysis of chemical, biological, or
radionuclear threats: Implications for food security. Risk Analysis Vol.
29(9):1317-1335.

http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/bpl/risk/2009/00000029/00000009/ar
t00013

 

WHO. 2002. Food Safety Issues: Terrorist Threats to Food. Guidance for
Establishing and Strengthening Prevention and Response Systems. World
Health Organization. Available at:

http://www.vet.utk.edu/cafsp/resources/pdf/WHO%20Food%20Safety%20Issues%
20-%20Terrorist%20Threats%20to%20Food.pdf 

 

 

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