Re: Po-210 in tobacco

["Raymond Shadis" <shadis@ime.net>]

HelloFranz,Kjell, et al,

Am I missing something? I have long understood the level of Polonium content

in most American tobacco products corresponded directly to the application

of Florida rock phosphate [high in radium and daughters] in tobacco fields.

On a related note: just a few years back, EPA found an apparent synergistic

effect when smoking was combined with residential radon exposure.



Ray

----- Original Message -----

From: Franz Schoenhofer <franz.schoenhofer@CHELLO.AT>

To: Kjell A. Johansen <kajohans@powercom.net>; radsafe

<radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu>

Sent: Sunday, July 01, 2001 6:32 PM

Subject: Re: Po-210 in tobacco





> Dear Kjell,

>

> I disagree with your disagreement....,..

>

> -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----

> Von: Kjell A. Johansen <kajohans@powercom.net>

> An: radsafe <radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu>

> Datum: Sonntag, 01. Juli 2001 02:17

> Betreff: Po-210 in tobacco

>

>

> >Franz,

> >I have to disagree.  The Po-210 in tobacco does come from the air. The

> >mechanism is as follows:

> >Radon diffuses from the ground.  As the radon decays it becomes

> >charged.  The charged atom is attached to small airborne particles

> >called Aiken particles.  The particle assumes the charge of the charged

> >atom.  Now, the underside of the tobacco leaf has many fine, hair like

> >appendages which results in a large surface area for charged particle

> >attachment.  The charged Aiken particles become attached to this "fuzz."

> >

> >Sorry, but I do not remember the reference from which I got the

> >mechanism.

>

> No reference necessary, because the fact that radon decay products will be

> attached to leafy vegetables (of which tobacco might be one....) as well

as

> to any other surfaces like the walls in ones home is a fact, which needs

not

> be discussed.

>

> O.K., now we are in the situation of "attobequerels of plutonium per cubic

> square kilometer have been measured in air; plutonium is the most deadly

> (!!!!) element in the world, therefore breathing this air will result in

the

> extinction of the human race."

>

> Let me return to science. Radon-222 emanating from soil will be to some

> extent in equilibrium with its short lived daughter products.

> "Equilibium-factor" probably int he range of 0.5. The short lived

daughters

> of interest are Po-218 and Po-214 with half lifes of 3 minutes and

165*10E-6

> seconds. They are responsible for the  possible damage of lung tissue.

> Pb-210 has a half life of 22.2  years and its daugher Po-210 a half life

of

> 138.4 days. Pb-210 is present in ambient air in an extremely low

> concentration. Unfortunately I have to use for my RADSAFE communications

my

> private e-mail address, so I do not have the ambient Po-210 concentrations

> by hand, but qualitatively speaking it will be extremely low, if not

> negligible from the point of radiation protection. I know very well that

> data are used in research for air masses displacements and research of

> transfer of air masses. Due to the extremely low concentrations of Pb-210

in

> air the foliar uptake can be only extremely small.

>

> Oh, sorry, I made a mistake. You are talking about Po-210 uptake and not

> Pb-210, the long lived radionuclide, as I did. Anything known about the

> concentrations of Pb-210 compared to Po-210 in air?

>

> What about removal of this incredibly low Po-210 (Pb-210????) -amount from

> the plant by rain or irrigation?

>

> Once again I can only refer to common sense and the many orders of

magnitude

> I have experience. If there is a hard challenge I might go deeper into the

> question,. In the meantime I would remind every smoker that he or she is

> subject to highly enhanced risk of dying from lung cancer - induced by tar

> and policyclic constituents, Po-210 being a contributor.

>

> Happy smoking!

>

> Franz

>

>

>

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