Re: Environmental Epidemiology and Toxicology "Improvements in

["Frank R. Borger_(FRB)" <frb@gammex.com>]

>> "Frank R. Borger_(FRB)" <frb@gammex.com> April 5, 2000 15:27 >>>
>Same for the amount of radioactivity released at Mt St Helens?

After posting the above, I did a quick SWAG on the calculation.

1/ From www.physics.isu.edu/radinf/natural.htm, a volume of soil 1 square mile by 1 foot
deep contains a total of 17 curies, mostly Potassium, but also Uranium, (0.8 Ci,) Thorium, 
(1.4 Ci,) Radium, (1.7Ci,) and Radon, (0.2CI.)

2/ From usgs facts sheet, Mt St Helens removed 0.67 cubic miles of material.

3/ 17 curies, x 5280 x 0.67 yields 89760 curies.

I know my SWAG has holes in it large enough to drive a HumVee thru, (no accounting
of granite/other rock versus soil, etc,) but I sure was surprised at the numbers. Wonder
what the infant mortality rate is downwind of the mountain.




Frank R. Borger - SeniorSupport Engineer, Gammex RMI
fborger@gammex.com phn 608-828-7289 fax 608-828-7500

Oh NO!!! Captain America's traded in his T28 for a Rooski Jet!
Say it isn't so, Gail Richards!


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