Re: CONUS radioactivity %K Variability -Implications to Tooth Fairy

[RadiumProj@cs.com]

In a message dated 8/10/00 5:04:55 AM Eastern Daylight Time, 
johngd@bellsouth.net writes:

> Stumbled on this little jewel while prowling the net:
>  
>  http://sedwww.cr.usgs.gov:8080/radon/DDS-9.html
>  
>  These are maps plotting U, Th and dose across the US. 

-==================
Radsafe:

Thanks John these maps are great! They also include a map of %K derived from 
the K-40 measured in the gamma spectra acquired in the traverses flown to 
generate these maps of U & Th.  These maps help to explain how variable the 
impact of fallout Cs-137 per unit deposition can be, and also relate in a 
very direct way to showing how flawed the objective vs. the design of the 
Tooth Fairy Project really is.

The link given by John included  a map of potassium levels [ %K] in surface 
soil across the US.   See link below to USGS map of %K in USA:
 <A HREF="http://sedwww.cr.usgs.gov:8080/radon/usak.gif";>Click here: 
http://sedwww.cr.usgs.gov:8080/radon/usak.gif</A> 

I had never seen a plot like this, but knew of the general variation across 
the US, very low in FL,  higher in Northeast. What I didn't have is data that 
showed the much higher levels of K in places like NM and NV and other parts 
of the country showing as purple and red on the map. This map also shows th

The point. Soil levels of K inversely influence the uptake of weapon's test 
fallout Cs-137 into biomass, like trees and brush. The higher the K level in 
soil, the lower the likely level of Cs-137 in trees and their ash. This helps 
to explain the highest Cs-137 activity in woodash from a nationwide survey I 
conducted of Cs-137 in woodash which was measure in ash from northern FL at 
over 30,000 pCi of Cs-137 per kg of ash vs. measurements in Idaho being less 
than 1,000 pCi/kg and parts of Sourthern CA being as low as a  300 pCi/ kg 
ash.

Stable K is one major factor on Cs-137 transfer, the other being the stable 
Cs level in soil which can also vary widely so as to introduce another 
inverse relationship on Cs-137 uptake [ie: higher stable Cs ==> lower Cs-137 
uptatke] . But the map of stable K helps to explain a good deal of the 
variation of Cs-137 in biomass.

Since Cs-137 levels in biomass in many parts of of NM are likely to be so 
low, this would help to explain why Cs-137 was not reported in air sampling 
around LANL. The absolute activity on a given filter was just too low on low 
volume samples or samples of short duration as were taken during the fire.  
However, any good lab would still be able to see the Cs-137 in the ash 
resulting from burning wood or brush, since Cs-137 in ash should still be a 
few hundred pCi/kg ash.

The importance of the map of %K to the tooth fairy project? This "study" 
which clearly has come up with a conclusion and is force fitting any data it 
can gather to support their preselected conclusion conveniently overlooks how 
variable the transfer factors can be in different parts of the country for 
fallout Cs-137 and Sr-90 as well per unit fallout distribution. First there 
is no where in the US where the releases of Cs-137 or Sr-90 from a commercial 
nuclear plant contributed more than a few percent to the preexisting fallout 
from open air nuclear testing.

Taking Cs-137 alone, the map of %K shows that FL and parts of the eastern 
coastal plains and the coast of New Jersey where Oyster Creek is located have 
the lowest %K of any parts of the US. This would lead to higher transfer 
factors and levels  of Cs-137 into biomass like trees and plants for any 
level of  soil deposition. Any contribution to an individuals uptake from 
foods from the trivial plant releases from Oyster Creek of Cs-137 [ and 
similar variations would be seen for  Sr-90 depending on stable Ca level 
variatins in soil]  would be swamped by  the huge variations in dietary 
contributions due to the movement from overall bomb test  fallout deposition 
of these isotopes and very wide  variation of Cs-137 and Sr-90 in food, 
depending on where the food came from. Accordingly, the goal of the Tooth 
Fairy project to "prove" that fallout levels of overall Sr-90 in a few 
scattered baby teeth are higher in certain areas,  and then to make a flying 
leap that this might be due to the fraction of a percent contribution of the 
Sr-90 in the environment due to nuclear plant operations is absurd.

Someone else noted all the toxic waste Superfund sites in New Jersey and it 
reminded me of a joke:

Q: Do you know why New Jersey has the most toxic waste dumps per capita and 
Washington, DC has the most lawyers per capita?
A: New Jersey got first choice

Regards,

Stewart Farber, MS Public Health
Public Health Sciences
Director - Radium Experiment Assessment Project [REAP]
172 Old Orchard Way
Warren, VT 05674

  Phone: (802) 496-3356 
 E-mail: radiumproj@cs.com <A HREF="radiumproj@cs.com">Click here to send 
email to S. Farber</A>
Webpage: http://www.delphi.com/carsreap  <A 
HREF="http://www.delphi.com/carsreap";>Click here to go to REAP webpage</A>





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