[ RadSafe ] RDD's etc.

[GEOelectronics at netscape.com]

From: <GEOelectronics at netscape.com>

Date: February 14, 2011 10:55:19 AM CST

To: <radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu>

Subject: RDD's etc.




Bernard L. Cohen said>
 
"I meant that a large segment of the public believes that exposure would 
cause many immediate severe health impacts and deaths. Since these would 
not occur, this segment of the public would be productively educated.

On 2/11/2011 2:32 PM, Stewart Farber wrote:
> Dr. Cohen writes below about a dirty bomb attack. As he notes the goal 
> is fear and chaos, and:
>
> "This could only work once, because when the public recognizes that no 
> one was harmed by the plutonium, it would be a very useful public 
> information event".
>
"

According to a couple of updated courses I just retook:
Johns Hopkins/ Bloomberg School of Public Health;

"Practical Aspects of Preparing for, and Responding to, Radiological Terrorism"

and 
"Radiation Terror 101"

RDD's are considered to be the top possibility for the next 
major attack on US soil trumping all other CBR methods. Therefore sooner or later, the public will find out what it's all about.

RDD (Radiological Dispersion Device)is generally perceived by the lay public as being a "Dirty Bomb". The "Bomb" scenario seems to always
utilize explosives, and plans for dealing with same are abundant.

"Dispersion" would rely on chance winds, efficiency of the explosive and 
a myriad of other factors that would enhance or minimize the effects.

RDD in the sense of DISTRIBUTION is quite another matter.
In this mode the radiological material is transported to and distributed onto the desired target. This method is 100% efficient, but the mode is
not necessarily aerosol (it can be of course). 

We have agreed not to go into details out here in the open, so I'll bite my tongue and leave it at that.

My main contribution is detection methodology. Because of this I tend to think
about scenarios that circumvent our equipment.


George Dowell
New London Nucleonics Lab
 
GEOelectronics at netscape.com
 
314-603-9284


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