Mr Phelps, you are writing incredible nonsense

[Franz Schoenhofer <schoenho@via.at>]

This attack is deliberately ad hominem and I believe that hardly any
radsafer will not understand the reason for it and I would not be surprised
if most of you will support it. I have not been carried away and I write
this "with cold blood". 

Mr. Phelps of whoever you are: At 08:48 07.04.2000 -0500, you wrote
terrible nonsense and I can tell you that I have never been so angry about
a posting on RADSAFE as I was after reading your post. You have not the
slightest credibility any more. Do you really think that RADSAFERs are a
kind of people totally unexperienced, with no background in chemistry,
physics, radiation protection, epidemiology etc, so that you can write this
nonsense without any RADSAFEr finding out about it? It's the fascinating
about RADSAFE that so many persons from different fields participate that
real interdisciplinary exchange is possible. Your attitude to distribute
this nonsense like being a person experienced in the fields of chemistry
and toxicology and as if you were entitled to judge scientific matters with
not the slightest scientific background is disgusting. You really think
that nobody will recognize your complete lack of education in chemistry or
toxicology? You really think you are entitled to put forward comments
offending experts in fields of which you do not have a clue? No, you are
not, at least not in the community of scientists. When somebody like Ruth
Weiner states something then you can assume that there is 'a very high
probability' that she is right. You obviously cannot stand that there are
issues you have not the faintest idea about and that you as a principle
oppose everything scientists claim. This throws some light on your
personality and the methods you work with and which is - as I have now the
impression after the many postings on this thread - directed towards money
for compensations. In the beginning I was interested in your postings and
that of the lawyer, but now I see that there is no real background and
probably your claims and accusation might be as doubtful and invalid as
your silly comment on the cyanide ion in acetonitrile. Having read your
last post I have good reasons to believe that also other matters you claim
may be as invalid and incorrect as this last posting. 

REFRAIN FROM ANSWERING TO ME. I AM A CHEMIST BY EDUCATION WHO FORGOT MOST
OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY, BUT THE ISSUES YOU COMMENTED ON ARE SO BASIC AND YOUR
COMMENTS ARE SO EASILY IDENTIFYABLE AS NONSENSE THAT EVEN I CAN DO IT. I
think and propose to other RADSAFERs to ignore this thread, especially
since the lawyer according to my latest information is just a lawyer
talking a lot and having something different in mind.

>
>    I just pulled down the Hawley's chemical dictionary to look up 
>"acetonitrile" and it is definded as "methyl cyanide" with chemical
formula   
>CH3CN.
>
>    So, by direct definition, acetonitrile is a cyanide ion bearing compound 
>and also reflected as its alternative name.   

This is nonsense. Whether you call it acetonitrile or methyl cyanide, it
DOES NOT CONTAIN A CYANIDE ION!!!!! And it does not contain a methyl ion
either, because something like this does not exist. The CN group is bound
by a rigid atomic bond to the methyl group.


It is listed toxic at 40 ppm in 
>air, flammable, toxic by inhallation and ingestion.  So, I think we can say 
>that ion is available 

THIS IS NONSENSE. There is no ion available - see above. Though English is
not my mother tongue, the correct spelling is "inhalation" - maybe a typing
error occured, maybe not.

and makes for toxic effect.
>
>   Most of the methyl compounds are known for their solublity and ready 
>uptake by humans, and for making their components affect human health.
And 
>this one does appear to have the CN- ion easily available,

which does not exist - see above.

>
>   Methyl compounds frequently affect the nervous system, example 
>fluoromethane, methyl bromide, methyl chloride, and real bad examples like 
>Sarin and Soman----these are methyl compound war gases that target the 
>nervous system.

The next nonsense. The active part of what you call "methyl compounds" are
the halogens - I hope you know what this is, because of your lack of
chemical background I doubt. To attribute toxicity to methyl groups is
something I can only laugh about.


>
>   So, I think one should not expect acetonytrile to have any properties
like 
>table salt.  

Who stated this? Probably you know that table salt can be very toxic. If
you do not believe, eat a kilogram and you will see!

> I do believe you engaged in loose speculation, 

THIS IS THE MOST ARROGANT AND SILLY STATEMENT I EVER READ ON RADSAFE. IT IS
YOU WHO IS NOT EVEN SPECULATING BUT DISTRIBUTING THE MOST DISGUSTING
NONSENSE WITH A LACK OF THE SLIGHTEST AMOUNT OF KNOWLEDGE.

which is not 
>supported by what is seen in references to this methyl cyanide compound and 
>others like it.  

You have a very personal way of "seeing" which hopefully is not shared by
others.


  I would also think that burning acetonitrile would 
>contribute the CN- ion 

which is not present

>to other burn products.

Is the cyanide ion flying around in the air? 


>
>Just my Opionion,

I can hardly believe that any other person could have such an incredible
opinion.


Besides Melissas demand to stop the thread I think that all RADSAFERs
should ignore messages from Mr. Phelps. They are not worth to be discussed.

Sorry Melissa, this was such an incredible message, that I had to get rid
of my agressions, which I think are justified.

Franz


Franz Schoenhofer
Habicherg. 31/7
A-1160 Vienna
Austria
Tel.: +43-1-495 53 08
Fax.: same number
mobile phone: +43-664-338 0 333
e-mail: schoenho@via.at


Office:
Hofrat Dr. Franz Schoenhofer
Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Resources
Radiation Protection Department (BMLUW I/8 U)
Radetzkystr. 2
A-1031 Vienna
AUSTRIA

phone: -43-1-71172-4458
fax: -43-1-7122331

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