[ RadSafe ] 109 million million atoms of Pu-239 per sq. meter Measured! --was Re: "Highly toxic" Pu found near Fukushima

[gfinnigan at aol.com]

If 1.1E+14 atoms per sq. meter of Pu-239 is a supposed significant risk  
now, on what basis are 88,000,000,000 atoms [ 88 billion or 8.8E+9 atoms ( How about 8.8E+10 )]  
in 250,000 years not a risk after 10 half lifes of decay?







-----Original Message-----
From: RADPROJECT - SAF <radproject at sbcglobal.net>
To: Jerry Cohen <jjcohen at prodigy.net>; The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List <radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu>; Edmond Baratta <edmond0033 at comcast.net>
Sent: Wed, Jun 8, 2011 4:05 pm
Subject: [ RadSafe ] 109 million million atoms of Pu-239 per sq. meter Measured! --was Re: "Highly toxic" Pu found near Fukushima


In the mid-1970s the EPA reported that the areal terrestial deposition of  
u-239 essentially everywhere on earth in the Northern Hemisphere from  
rior open air tests of nuclear weapons was:
2.65 milli-Curies/km^2 = 9.8E+7 Bq/km^2 = 98 Bq/m^2  [*1]
Of course we can measure Pu-239 everywhere. What didn't deposit on land,  
nded up depositing or flowing into the oceans and ended up in sediments,  
tc.
Of note 98 Bq/m^2 of Pu-239 equals  109,000,000,000,000  [ 1.1 E+14 ]  
toms per square meter.  With proper sampling and ultra low-level counting  
e can presently quantify trivial quantities of Pu-239 [and other  
adionuclides] in soil and sediment  -levels that result in minute doses  
resenting essentially zero theoretical health effects.
The common nonsensical,and totally false statement about Pu in the  
nvironment by the media and anti-nuke activists for the last 40 years is  
omething like: "Pu is so toxic it will present a serious health risk for  
50,000 years".  [i.e.: 10 half lives].
In assessing the risk of radioactivity in the environment, it is not the  
ere presence of measurable radioactivity in the environment, or a fixed  
umber of half-lives of decay, but can the radioactivity in question  
esult in enough radiation exposure to be a significant risk factor to a  
eal individual or group of people.
[*1] Source: EPA 520/1-76-010 [May 1976]-"Radiological Quality of the  
nvironment" --Reported deposition of Pu-239 based primarily on extensive  
easurements made by the Health and Safety Lab [HASL] of AEC, and then  
nvironmental Measurements Lab [EML] of the US DOE and other domestic and  
nternational labs.


tewart Farber, MS Public Health
arber Medical Solutions, LLC
ridgeport, CT 06604
203-441-8433
=======================
n Wed, 08 Jun 2011 17:08:37 -0400, Edmond Baratta  
edmond0033 at comcast.net> wrote:
> Since when is Plutonium not toxic.  You are correct it is the  
 environment from the nuclear weapons test.  Years back the Health and  
 Safety Laboratory (DOE, NY City) did a study of it in the environment  
 and found it almost everywhere.

 Ed Baratta

 edmond0033 at comcast.net



 -----Original Message----- From: Jerry Cohen
 Sent: Monday, June 06, 2011 8:33 PM
 To: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List
 Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] "Highly toxic" Pu found near Fukushima

 As a consequence of atmospheric nuclear explosives testing, I believe  
 that if
 you try hard enough,
 Pu can be detected just about anywhere. The problem with anything  
 radioactive,
 is that it can be detected even in miniscule quantities.



 ________________________________
 From: Steven Dapra <sjd at swcp.com>
 To: radsafe at agni.phys.iit.edu
 Sent: Mon, June 6, 2011 5:53:32 PM
 Subject: [ RadSafe ] "Highly toxic" Pu found near Fukushima

 June 6

     Dumb and dumber.  It never ends, does it?

 http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_theenvoy/20110606/ts_yblog_theenvoy/plutonium-found-near-fukushima-shows-nuclear-crisis-is-far-from-over


 Steven Dapra



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