[ RadSafe ] Long-lived radionuclides

[franz.schoenhofer at chello.at]

Jerry, Doug et al,

Deep in the background of the neurons in my brain there is remembrence of a radioecological conference many decades ago (in any case long before Chernobyl), where the question of the radiological impact of "very long lived" radionuclides from the nuclear fuel cycle was discussed. Those were I-129 for sure, I believe Tc-99 (not Tc-99m!), probably also C-14. Pu-239 sure was understandably not among them, neither tritium, which is according to Ian Fairley the most dangerous radionuclide. Ian Fairley is a  Busby-like English anti-nuclear agitator, also connected to some of the groups in which Busby is involved. 

The argumentation is not hidden behind my neurons: Because of the very long half-life and the extremely large ubiquitous distribution of the radionuclides the collective dose will be in the end high and exceed the one from other radionuclides.

I report this solely for the purpose of answer to this question. The audience (everybody knowleadgable in his field) accepted  these arguments or at least did not protest. I personally found it reasonable,  but I have to little knowledge on dosimetry and so - unlike Chris Busby for whom the same statement is correct - I do not feel I should discuss on it.  

Of course one has to believe in "collective dose" and LNT to accept these reasonings........

I hope I have been able to give an explanation.

Best regards,

Franz

---- Doug Huffman <doug.huffman at wildblue.net> schrieb:
> The free neutron decays in 15 minute half-life.
> 
> Proton decay too, the proton has a half-life of about 10^36
> years, and decays into a positron and a neutral pion that itself"buddy
> immediately decays into 2 gamma ray photons!
> 
> On 5/25/2011 22:55, Jerry Cohen wrote:
> > Could someone please explain why there is such inordinate concern about the 
> >  long-live radionuclides such as
> >  I-129, Pu-239, etc.
> > It seems to me that if long-lived species are of particular concern, we should 
> > be most worried about the toxic stable elements (Pb, Cd, Hg, etc) which will 
> > persist forever.
> > Jerry Cohen
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > ________________________________
> > From: Peter Miller <z3ix at kamprint.com>
> > To: radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu
> > Sent: Wed, May 25, 2011 11:20:58 AM
> > Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] RadSafe Digest, Vol 639, Issue 1
> > 
> >>
> >> http://www.shef.ac.uk/mediacentre/2011/radioactive-iodine-japan-tsunami-earthquake.html
> >> l
> >>
> >> 24 May 2011
> >> Expert discovers simple method of dealing with harmful radioactive iodine
> > 
> > How does one separate the I-129 from seawater to heat it in a microwave oven 
> > with lead so as to immobilize it as Prof Hyatt's technique prescribes?
> > 
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--
Franz Schoenhofer, PhD, MinRat
Habicherg. 31/7
A-1160 Vienna
Austria
mobile: ++43 699 1706 1227