[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

RE: More on baby teeth



Florida has another possible confounding factor that is not widely known.
South Central Florida has large deposits of phosphate ore.  While I can't
speak to isotopes and concentrations, it is known that the tailings have
easily detectable levels of NORM.   While these deposits were laid down when
the latest superweapon was an antelope femur, the provenance is such that
any calcium mimics present would be concentrated in them (along with the
calcium - the tailings are mostly CaSO4).

Given the hydrologic cycle in Florida, inclusion of anything in the ore or
tailings in the water table is rather likely.

This is nowhere near a 'smoking gun', but it is a possibility to consider.

Dave Neil		neildm@id.doe.gov

I never think of the future. It comes soon enough. Albert Einstein

On Wednesday, May 03, 2000 9:02 AM, Jim Hardeman
[SMTP:Jim_Hardeman@mail.dnr.state.ga.us] wrote:
> Colleagues -
> 
> Please take a look at the following excerpts from 2 press releases from
the Radiation Public Health Project regarding the Tooth Fairy project. The
full press releases can be found at www.rphp.org. Your thoughts?
> 
>
> 
> The highest levels of radioactive Strontium-90 were found in 39 South
Florida teeth from Miami-Dade County, which had an average of 3.0 picocuries
per gram of calcium, compared to an overall average of 1.5 picocuries for
all teeth measured. Florida baby teeth had two times the radiation levels
found in teeth from other states. Furthermore, the few teeth that reached
peak levels as high as 16 or 17 picocuries per gram calcium were from the
Miami, Florida, area."
> 
> =========================
> 
> Hmm ... assuming for the moment (despite having no definitive evidence of
this) that this Sr-90 is of recent origin, given the demographics of the
Miami area, is it possible that this Sr-90 might have originated in another
country? Just another little twist.
> 
> I would also note that in the Miami press release, it appears that a
simple arithmetic average is being used to describe a decidedly "non-normal"
distribution, as the Manhattan press release clearly indicates that most
values are in the 1.1-2.0 pCi/g range ... with a few in the 16-17 pCi/g
range. This either indicates a skewed distribution (such as a log-normal),
or that you're actually looking at two separate distributions.
> 
> =======================
> 
> Jim Hardeman
> Jim_Hardeman@mail.dnr.state.ga.us
>
!
>

> ************************************************************************
> The RADSAFE Frequently Asked Questions list, archives and subscription
> information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html
************************************************************************
The RADSAFE Frequently Asked Questions list, archives and subscription
information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html