Re: Depleted uranium

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

Table A2 of 10 CFR Part 71 provides the amount of an isotope that can be
released in a week from a transportation package (except that for Kr-85 the
allowed release is 10 A2).  Type A packages are designed to withstand the
rigors of normal, routine, incident-free transportation.

Since U-238 is ubiquitous -- almost every time a building is demolished
U-238 is released into the air -- I cannot understand the concern about
exposure to it.

Ruth Weiner
ruth_weiner@msn.com
-----Original Message-----
From: E.P. Goldfinch <goldfinch@ntp.org.uk>
To: Multiple recipients of list <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
Date: Friday, January 19, 2001 4:37 AM
Subject: Depleted uranium


>
>There is another aspect to the inhalation of uranium that I have not seen
>mentioned, namely the considerations within the IAEA Regulations for the
>Safe Transport of Radioactive Material. Uranium-238 is one of the nuclides
>listed in the IAEA regulations with an 'unlimited' A2 value. 'Unlimited'
>means that there is no limit on the quantity that can be carried in a Type
>A package. The derivation is based upon the assumption that in a 'median'
>accident (serious one) no more than 10 mg of dust could physically be
>inhaled by any individual in the vicinity. Above that sort of quantity
>physical coughing and spluttering would intervene. In general terms, the
>'unlimited' boundary occurs when 10 mg would give rise to an effective dose
>of 50 mSv and, of course, for DU the dose is much lower. In a combat
>situation the general dust level would, no doubt, dilute the DU in the air,
>if there is any at a respirable size. On the other hand, exposure on this
>basis could be repeated in a combat situation. However, it could be
>possible to place an upper conjectural limit on the intake for any
>individual. Since the normal daily intake is about 2 micro g, it is not
>surprising that U can be found in exposed persons. At the scientific level
>the current debate is not whether there have been intakes of DU but whether
>there are any effects. As we all recognise, the media view equates intake
>with effects!
>
>E.P. Goldfinch
>
>
>Nuclear Technology Publishing
>P.O. Box No 7, Ashford, Kent TN23 1YW, England
>File reference:
>Telephone: (+44) (0) 1233 641683
>Fax: (+44) (0) 1233 610021
>E-mail: goldfinch@ntp.org.uk
>Web site:  http://www.ntp.org.uk
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