Re: Nuclear Power

["ruth_weiner" <ruth_weiner@email.msn.com>]

Well, I can't resist:

I seem to be as resistant to radiation damage as Al Tschaetsche.  I have had
upwards of 50 xrays to the pelvic region.  During three of my four
pregnancies I was in charge of the isotope vault at Johns Hopkins, set up
the neutron howitzers, ran the rad lab, did quantities of radiochemistry and
had three perfectly normal children who are now perfectly normal adults (one
birth defect which is clearly inherited).  From the age of 14, when I worked
in my father's laboratory, I got mouthfuls of various nasty ("toxic?")
compounds, inhaled what must be many cubic meters of butanol vapors, lost my
sense of smell (it came back), washed glassware with acid-dichromate
solution, cleaned my shoes with carbon tetrachloride, and here I am, quite
elderly, and perfectly healthy!  I guess this is anecdotal but you know,
lots of similarly exposed people live to be real old.  I really think we
don't know much about the chronic (as distinct from the acute) effects of
either chemical or radiation exposure.

Ruth Weiner
ruth_weiner@msn.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Christoph Hofmeyr <Christoph_Hofmeyr@nnr.co.za>
To: Multiple recipients of list <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
Date: Friday, July 14, 2000 8:54 AM
Subject: Re: Nuclear Power


>
>Al, Sandy and others,
>The anecdotal experiences of Pam Watson and Don Kosloff can be taken as an
>'illustrations' of variable sensitivity and reactions to "insults" on
>hearing and sight, respectively ('proof' is more difficult).   I have heard
>authoritative statements that individuals differ enormously in their
>tolerance of chemical insults to their metabolism, due to differences in
>genetic makeup and also in the efficacy of cellular repair mechanisms
>(particularly DNA repair).
>The point I want to make will hardly go down well with (radiation)
>epidemiologists: it is quite conceivable that different individuals have
>different susceptibility also to damage by radiation, and that some are
>particularly vulnerable.   This could be due to differences in DNA repair
>efficacy or to mutations (inherited or aquired) which predispose them to
>some 'stochastic' effect.  One can speculate that with the advent of
>genetic testing, this could possibly be investigated.
>(Al, with my tongue firmly in my cheek, I would suggest that you are
>fortunately relatively resistant, judging by your own anecdotal
>experience).  I seem to propose a mechanism to support Pam and Lew's latest
>comments.
>Chris Hofmeyr
>chofmeyr@nnr.co.za
>NNR
>PO Box 7106
>Centurion 0046
>South Africa
>
>Sandy wrote:
>
>
>
>                    "Sandy Perle"
>                    <sandyfl@earthlink        To:     Multiple recipients
of list
>                    .net>
<radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
>                    Sent by:                  cc:     (bcc: Christoph
Hofmeyr/CNS1)
>                    radsafe@romulus.eh        Subject:     Re: Nuclear
Power
>                    s.uiuc.edu
>
>
>                    2000/07/14 05:35
>                    Please respond to
>                    radsafe
>
>
>
>
>
>In response to Pam's situation. In all probability, the noise did
>cause some hearing loss. Exposure to sound is well documented.
>The fact that someone didn't have the same damage doesn't mean
>there isn't a causal relationship. There are various factors to be
>considered, such as duration of exposure, decibels of exposure
>over time, condition of hearing prior to exposure to the noise etc.
>The lack of an effect is only significant if there are large
>substantiated numbers for similar conditions and effects.
>-----------
>Al wrote:
>>
>Even a nuclear weapon explosion is safe if you stay far enough away
>from it.  I know.  I worked at the Nevada Test Site during atmospheric
>nuclear
>weapons testing and experienced many nuclear explosions up close and
>personal.
>Al Tschaeche antatnsu@pacbell.net
>---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------
>
>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



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