[ RadSafe ] Fukushima beta radiation burns

Fri Mar 25 21:34:16 CDT 2011

Has there been any indication that the water could be acidic? From what I understand, significant amounts of boric acid were initially dumped into the facilities. Acid burns makes more sense to me than beta burns. Just curious.

GQ

-----Original Message-----
From: Larry Addis <ajess at clemson.edu>
To: 'The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing    List' <radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu>
Sent: Fri, Mar 25, 2011 11:16 am
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Fukushima beta radiation burns

How about waders (trout fishing type) and air fed hoods to mitigate heat

fatigue if that's a problem.

LA

-----Original Message-----

From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu

[mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Strickert, Rick

Sent: Friday, March 25, 2011 10:09 AM

To: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List

Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Fukushima beta radiation burns

According to an India Today news report: "The contaminated water seeped over

the top of their boots as the workers were working to get the damaged

plant's cooling system"

The internet article

(http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/133330/world/japan-two-fukushima-n-

plant-workers-hospitalized-for-excessive-radiation-exposure.html) shows a

picture of what at least some of the workers were wearing.

There's also a YouTube video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAApiuIANPc),

starting @ 29 seconds) showing the workers in protective outfits.

Rick Strickert

Austin, TX

-----Original Message-----

From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu

[mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Lachapelle, Edward

B

Sent: Friday, March 25, 2011 8:38 AM

To: 'The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List'

Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Fukushima beta radiation burns

Good point about the Sr-90/Y-90 equilibrium.  (Sometimes you miss the

obvious.)

Given the same assumptions, I got a dose to curie factor of 1.6E-6 Gy/hr per

Bq/sq. cm.

That resulted in a Y-90 concentration of 0.08 Ci/L.

And for a 600/hr rads of beta dose, I got .01 mCi/sq. cm.  You're within the

bounds of RadCon math.

Ed Lachapelle

-----Original Message-----

From: radsafe-bounces at agni.phys.iit.edu

[mailto:radsafe-bounces at agni.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Glenn R. Marshall

Sent: Friday, March 25, 2011 6:18 AM

To: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List

Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Fukushima beta radiation burns

Assuming Sr-90 is the culprit, the beta dose is from Y-90 with a 0.934 MeV

average energy.  A "very quick" calculation shows a dose of about 600

rad/hour from skin contamination of 1 mCi/cm2.  Disclaimer: I only had a

minute to do this and don't have time to check my math.....  

But if that's true, they have a problem.

Glenn Marshall, CHP

-----Original Message-----

From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu

[mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Lachapelle, Edward

B

Sent: Thursday, March 24, 2011 5:24 PM

To: 'The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List'

Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Fukushima beta radiation burns

Here are my thoughts:

If you assume that the dose was on the order of 500 Rads, and they were

exposed for 10 hours, that would be 50 Rads/hr, or 0.5 Gy/hr.

If you also assume that the dose was from beta radiation from Sr-90,

(average beta energy of 0.196 MeV), and using a skin dose calculation from

Cember's "Introduction to Health Physics," you get a conversion of 4.9E-7

Gy/hr per Bq/sq. cm.

If you assume that there was about 0.1 cm of thickness of water over the

area, that would result in a Sr-90 concentration of 0.3 Ci/L.

Ed Lachapelle, M.S., CHP

-----Original Message-----

From: radsafe-bounces at agni.phys.iit.edu

[mailto:radsafe-bounces at agni.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Strickert, Rick

Sent: Thursday, March 24, 2011 1:51 PM

To: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List

Subject: [ RadSafe ] Fukushima beta radiation burns

Below are a couple of links on reports that three workers at the Fukushima

No. 3 reactor got beta-radiation burns on their feet when they were laying

electrical cables while standing in radioactively-contaminated water.  One

report stated: "TEPCO said radioactive water may have seeped through the

workers' radiation protective gear, causing radioactive materials in the

water to stick to their skin."  

The workers also received radiation doses of 17 to 18 rem while working from

10 AM to 12:10 PM (suggesting a 1.2 - 1.3 rem/h average dose rate).  It's

not clear whether the workers were standing in water the entire 14 hours.

Can one estimate (or WAG) the solution concentrations of beta-emitters

(Ci/L) that would have to be in the water for the workers to get radiation

burns from the water that seeped through the workers' radiation protective

gear (e.g. Tyvex booties over work shoes?)?  

http://e.nikkei.com/e/fr/tnks/Nni20110324D24JF855.htm 

http://calgary.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20110324/japan-radiation-tapw

ater-110324/20110324/?hub=CalgaryHome 

Rick Strickert

Austin, TX

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