Slimy Teeth? (sort of a disclaimer on previous post)

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

I wasn't aware of the whole Tooth Fairy Project discussion.  I responded to
a quick question regarding why someone WOULD sample teeth.  But "slimy,"
Franz?  Well, maybe.  I did some backtracking through the posts (I get
RADSAFE as a digest because the traffic is so high it locks up my machine
and I don't get any work done), and realized the political aspect of the
project after seeing the "unplug Salem" (I occasionally fail, but my mother
taught me not to be too descriptive) "stuff."

Ms. Milligan, I can't speak to the science (or apparent lack thereof)
regarding the TFP.  I have no actual information.  I was responding to the
technical issue of whether teeth could be used for the purpose of detecting
strontium.  I think it's perhaps as reasonable as the Uranium Registry or
any other biological sampling where one accounts for bioaccumulation.  What
I was saying was that the teeth would likely show greater concentrations
than would be present in the environment, but I couldn't say how much more,
and I certainly wouldn't dream of taking the raw numbers at face value.  The
mere presence of 90Sr in teeth, whether children's or anyone else's, does
not necessarily imply excessive levels in the environment, or harm, or
anything else, except the mere presence of 90Sr.

If the TFP is trying to show the NPPs are lying about strontium levels, then
they're just like the Greenpeace (or someone affiliated with them) folks who
came to the navy base where I was stationed, took 5 liter samples, and
evaporated the samples down to 1 ml.  They then said, "see, the cobalt
levels are [so many - it's been too long, I just don't remember the numbers]
microcuries per milliliter - here's our results!"  Of course, they didn't
bother to mention they had 5000 times the amount of sample from which to get
activity .

I'm afraid I may have left the wrong impression.  I wouldn't recommend
either putting too much stock in the posting of an anti-nuclear position.  I
think that it can spark some interesting discussions that keep the mind
clear - even as I shake my head at foolishness such as "unplug Salem."
Personally, when we rail against the stupidity instead of cogently refuting
it, we just feed the flames (both kinds).

I say we let Mr. Cohen, et al, have a place in this list, and just ignore
the [there goes my mother in the back of my head again threatening to clean
my mouth out with soap] posts.

V/R
GRCicotte

This post is completely uncleared.  I've never gotten around to typing one
of those pat disclaimers, but I still have no idea what the Governor thinks
of my positions or aptitude.  Next time I'll try to look at what the whole
thread is before I respond.




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