[ RadSafe ] They walk among us

[Bill DeForest]

Thanks Kevin

Bill DeForest, CHP, DABR
President, ProPhysics Innovations, Inc.
billd at prophysics.com 
400 Dominion Drive, #109 Morrisville, NC 27560 
(800) 835-3615 
(919) 465-2545 
Fax: (919) 465-2544


www.prophysics.com


-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu
[mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Jim Hardeman
Sent: Thursday, October 21, 2010 4:11 PM
To: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] They walk among us

Howard / Shailendra --
 
I don't know anything about any particular "studies", but our past
experience in dealing with household items, trash, and yes -- diapers --
discarded by I-131 therapy patients (and showing up a day or two later at a
landfill) indicates that everything such a patient touches within the first
few days is likely to be contaminated. In most of what we've seen, it
appears that the material is related to sputum or perspiration -- although
occasionally we would get the "loaded Depends". As I indicated earlier, our
current practice is NOT to try to identify the specific item if we're
confident that we're dealing with a medical , radionuclide.
 
It's not uncommon to us to see radiation levels of several hundred uR/hr on
the outside of a metal trash container -- and although the geometry is
uncertain, I would conclude that in those cases we're looking at activities
of at least 0.5 mCi I-131. Given that this level of activity may be
transferred due to simple contact, I don't find the possibility of an uptake
of 1 microcurie to be the least bit implausible.
 
My $0.02 worth ...
 
Jim Hardeman, Manager
Environmental Radiation Program
Environmental Protection Division
Georgia Department of Natural Resources
4220 International Parkway, Suite 100
Atlanta, GA 30354
(404) 362-2675
Fax: (404) 362-2653
Personal fax: (404) 521-4485
E-mail: Jim.Hardeman at dnr.state.ga.us 
 
>>> "Shukla, Shailendra" <Sal.Shukla at va.gov> 10/21/2010 14:48 >>>
What is the likelihood of a child getting an internal dose of 1
microcurie of I-131 by kissing a thyroid therapy patient (few days after
the procedure)?

Shailendra Shukla, Ph.D
Medical Physicist & Radiation Safety Officer
(352) 376-1611 x6514
Fax: 352-271-4504


>>> Howard Long <howard.long at comcast.net> 10/21/2010 14:39 >>>
Evidence, Otto?
"Children can be exposed by skin contact, kissing, or while using a
contaminated toilet. Intake of only 1 microcurie of I-131 by a child can
result in a thyroid dose of 13 REM"

1, Where is a study that I is transmitted by such contacts, (as for colds)?
2. Chernobyl children's thyroid cancers were found NOT increased, when the
severity of the cancers was factored in (I apologize for having lost that
recent reference).
3. Hormesis effect, less risk of cancer rather than more, occurs up to about
20 REM in the bomb survivor studies, although children were  not in sig.
numbers.

"State of Fear" (Crichton's book) , false alarm that does great harm, is in
I-131, radiation use as well as in carbon burning

Howard Long 

On Oct 21, 2010, at 10:37 AM, "Otto G. Raabe" <ograabe at ucdavis.edu> wrote:

> Children can be exposed by skin contact, kissing, or while using a
contaminated toilet. Intake of only 1 microcurie of I-131 by a child can
result in a thyroid dose of 13 REM
_______________________________________________
You are currently subscribed to the RadSafe mailing list

Before posting a message to RadSafe be sure to have read and understood the
RadSafe rules. These can be found at:
http://health.phys.iit.edu/radsaferules.html 

For information on how to subscribe or unsubscribe and other settings visit:
http://health.phys.iit.edu ( http://health.phys.iit.edu/ )
_______________________________________________
You are currently subscribed to the RadSafe mailing list

Before posting a message to RadSafe be sure to have read and understood the
RadSafe rules. These can be found at:
http://health.phys.iit.edu/radsaferules.html

For information on how to subscribe or unsubscribe and other settings visit:
http://health.phys.iit.edu

__________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature
database 5552 (20101021) __________

The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.

http://www.eset.com


 

__________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature
database 5552 (20101021) __________

The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.

http://www.eset.com
 
 

__________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature
database 5552 (20101021) __________

The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus.

http://www.eset.com