[ RadSafe ] Long-lived radionuclides

[Brennan, Mike (DOH)]

I think the difficulty of making "engineered barriers" that will
adequately contain material is often overstated.  I also think the
consequences of the break down, especially for radioactive material, is
almost always overstated.  And NEVER is it pointed out that for the long
half-life material the mass needed produce the same activity is vastly
higher than for the isotopes we pay more attention to.  

This is one of the places where I've seen an unholy alliance between the
anti-nukes and certain factions within the rad biz, as there is much
higher profit in arguing about how to build a facility that will last
10,000 or 100,000 years than there is in building a facility that will
reliably last 100 years, and will probably last 1,000 years if no one
tries to break it.

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu
[mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Robert J
Gunter
Sent: Thursday, May 26, 2011 11:00 AM
To: 'Jerry Cohen'; 'The International Radiation Protection (Health
Physics)Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Long-lived radionuclides

The problem with long lived radionuclides is they contribute to off-site
dose for a long time.  This is obvious, but they may become limiting
factors
for waste pits in the long term when the "engineered barriers" break
down.
We prefer to ignore the other stuff....

Robert J. Gunter, MSc, CHP
CHP Consultants/CHP Dosimetry
www.chpconsultants.com
www.chpdosimetry.com
Toll Free: (888) 766-4833
Fax:  (866) 491-9913 
Cel:  (865) 387-0028
rjgunter at chpconsultants.com


-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu
[mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Jerry Cohen
Sent: Wednesday, May 25, 2011 11:55 PM
To: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Long-lived radionuclides

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
-ear
thquake.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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