[ RadSafe ] Busby Take on Go Figure: What bananas tell us about radiation (BBCarticle)

[Jerry Cohen]

If you want a really good source of radioactivity [to attain optimal dose 
levels] try Brazil Nuts!



________________________________
From: Roger Helbig <rwhelbig at gmail.com>
To: radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu
Sent: Thu, December 8, 2011 3:34:25 AM
Subject: [ RadSafe ] Busby Take on Go Figure: What bananas tell us about 
radiation (BBCarticle)

Here is yet another example of how Busby misleads the public - I was
looking for old message about bananas to send to AP reporter in Japan
who put out the report on Cs-137 in baby formula after she asked me
"bananas from where?"  and found this one and started to read the
comments and lo and behold - Busby had to attack U-238.  I do wonder
who pay him to continue to push an issue that should have died long
ago.  Doug Weir of the ICBUW says that it is in no way influenced by
Busby and thus had no need of knowing about his Japan scam.

midway through the comments at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15288975

"Bananas are radioactive because they contain some Potassium-40. So do
many things. But the reason this idea is absurd is that different
radioisotopes exist which have different biological affinities.
Potassium is uniformly distributed in the body and so can be compared
with external radiation. Not so substances like Strontium-90 and
Uranium 238 or Plutonium 239 which have high affinity to DNAS and so
can deliver their energy where it is effective is causing mutation.
Almost all of the potassium 40 radiation is wasted.:"

Prof Chris Busby, Aberystwyth

Doesn't say Visiting Assistant Prof, but Prof to make it clear to the
public that this person is really an expert.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Mark Ramsay <mark.ramsay at ionactive.co.uk>
Date: Thu, Oct 13, 2011 at 9:20 AM
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Go Figure: What bananas tell us about
radiation (BBCarticle)
To: "The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing
List" <radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu>

Except we know that k / K-40 regulation in the body is not as implied ;)

Still helpful perhaps for some!

Mark


-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu
[mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Dimiter Popoff
Sent: 13 October 2011 16:40

The author has made an amusing "banana equivalent" table :-) .

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15288975

Dimiter

------------------------------------------------------
Dimiter Popoff               Transgalactic Instruments
http://www.tgi-sci.com
------------------------------------------------------
http://www.flickr.com/photos/didi_tgi/sets/72157600228621276/
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