Re: radioactive material releases

["Bjorn Cedervall" <bcradsafers@hotmail.com>]

>Carol Marcus and I did a little analysis some years back, and found >that 
>grocery stores in the US are permitting uncontrolled releases
>(with no consumer notification) of the order of 7.5 *curies* of 
> >radioactivity (K-40) per year, in bananas alone (there are other 
> >foodstuffs high in potassium whose contributions could be
>added).

1.5 years ago I was in touch with the Swedish banana importers and used 
their numbers for some estimates - the bottom line was that we import about 
13.5 billion unchecked K-40 Bq per year (just think about the number of 
radioactive atoms that represents!) which is a decrease as compared to about 
7 years ago. The reason is that Sweden has entered EU and as a consequence 
it seems - the banana consumption has gone down by about 25% (we formerly 
imported about 18 billion Bq). I may be added that most of those who worry 
about minute levels of Bq are against the EU member status. :-) I know that 
we discussed some of this previously.

My opinion only,

Bjorn Cedervall  bcradsafers@hotmail.com

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