Re: Gould challenges you all to doublecheck the teeth!

["Otto G. Raabe" <ograabe@ucdavis.edu>]

May 10, 2000
Davis, CA

I don't need to do any measurements to evaluate the radiochemical
methodology, I just need to see the methods write-up. No scientist would
publish analytical results without completely describing the methodology so
that it can be repeated. 

Anyway, what Gould is reporting for children's teeth looks about right for
world-wide fallout at about 20% of peak values that occurred in children'
teeth in 1964 (not in the 1950's as Gould says; see Rosenthal 1972). Sr-90
has a half life of about 29 years and is relatively immobile in soil so
that it takes decades to enter the food chain. This has all been worked out
many years ago by radioecologists. The skeletal doses from 2 pCi/gram are
trivial (less than 1 mrem per year effective dose) and are about equal to
the skeletal dose we all receive each year from natural Ra-226 in our food
and water and is equivalent to much less than 1% of normal background
whole-body effective exposures. This has all been published by the NCRP and
National Academy of Sciences (BEIR V).

There is absolutely nothing scientifically new or remarkable in Gould's
Tooth Fairy stuff. I use Gould's book, Deadly Deceit, in my classes to
teach students to recognize junk science. The Tooth Fairy project is
apparently another attempt to scare people and promote a warped view of
radiation risks. 

Otto
**************************
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	Prof. Otto G. Raabe, Ph.D., CHP
	Institute of Toxicology & Environmental Health (ITEH)
	(Street Address: Bldg. 3792, Old Davis Road)
	University of California, Davis, CA 95616
	E-Mail: ograabe@ucdavis.edu
	Phone:(530) 752-7754, FAX:(530) 758-6140
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