[ RadSafe ] [EXTERNAL] Bq/kg soil

[franz.schoenhofer at chello.at]

Bill,

Why are "most people" not informed about this fact? So much discussion is going on on RADSAFE, but obviously nobody explains this fact to either the public nor to the authorities. The latter ones should know, but why do they hide this fact? Why to blame whomsoever?

Best regards,

Franz

---- Bill Prestwich <prestwic at mcmaster.ca> schrieb:
> Most people are quite surprised to learn they are themselves radioactive and
> are typically radiating some 400 gammas per second due to the K-40.
> 
> Bill
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: radsafe-bounces at agni.phys.iit.edu
> [mailto:radsafe-bounces at agni.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of John R Johnson
> Sent: Tuesday, December 06, 2011 2:04 PM
> To: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) MailingList
> Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] [EXTERNAL] Bq/kg soil
> 
> Mike
> 
> I usually add that K-40 is a naturally occurring isotope, and we need 
> potassium to live.
> 
> John
> 
> -----Original Message----- 
> From: Brennan, Mike (DOH)
> Sent: Tuesday, December 06, 2011 9:34 AM
> To: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) MailingList
> Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] [EXTERNAL] Bq/kg soil
> 
> Hi, Karen.
> 
> When I am explaining rad issues to members of the public, I usually
> explain some of the basic principles, such as decay and energy and
> specific activity/ half life, and then address the specific topic
> (radon, fallout, depleted uranium, whatever) in broad, qualitative
> terms.  At that point I pause and say, "Now, from here on out, it gets
> complicated."  That usually gets a laugh.
> 
> That isn't, however, a cop-out.  A question like, "How does risk
> increase with increased contamination on farm land?" has probably 100
> assumptions that need to be made or clarifying questions that need to be
> asked before a meaningful answer can be given (and if we parsed it out
> and found it was closer to 200, I wouldn't be surprised).  Some of the
> assumptions can be fairly straight forward, but some would require
> gathering data in order to come up with something useful.
> 
> Without for a moment claiming I can hold a candle to Einstein, I like to
> think I understand what he meant when he said, "Do not worry about your
> difficulties in Mathematics. I can assure you mine are still greater."
> This isn't discouragement; rather it  implies that even when you've
> learned a lot about a cool subject (like rad), there is still a lot left
> to learn.
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu
> [mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Karen Street
> Sent: Monday, December 05, 2011 8:02 PM
> To: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] [EXTERNAL] Bq/kg soil
> 
> Jim and others, much thanks for your help! Now to figure out what I want
> to explain to the public.
> 
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--
Franz Schoenhofer, PhD, MinRat
Habicherg. 31/7
A-1160 Vienna
Austria
mobile: ++43 699 1706 1227