[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Re: Environmental Epidemiology and Toxicology- K-40 Thread
In a message dated 4/6/00 10:31:46 AM Eastern Daylight Time, frantaj@aecl.ca
writes:
<< Road salt may be hazardous to people's health
WebPosted Thu Jan 20 12:19:38 2000 ET
VANCOUVER - Most Canadians know how road salt helps clear slippery roads
while taking a toll on our cars. But a professor at the University of
Victoria says we may not know that road salt may be damaging to people's
health.
Dr. Harold Foster, a geographer, says road salt may be the worst
cancer-causing agent in the environment. He compared the map of cancer rates
in different regions with the presence of 219 different substances in the
environment. >>
================
Keep in mind that roadsalt is NaCl not KCl. Accordingly, there is no
radioactive component ot 'road salt". KCl is not used since it is too
expensive vs. NaCl which is used in such vast quantities as road melt.
KCl is used around the home because it does not damage concrete like NaCl and
also is much less damaging to plants. In fact the K content should help
plants grow vs. Na content in NaCl killing plants.
Stewart Farber
************************************************************************
The RADSAFE Frequently Asked Questions list, archives and subscription
information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html