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RE: Po-210 in tobacco
QUantifying the range of Po-210 would be interesting, but difficult. Factors
to consider though: Age of crop field because of years of fertilizing;
source of phosphates for that fertilizer used; uptake of the plant vs.
exterior deposition; presence of other particles to attach to, fugitive
dusts and fog/dew; inversions and other weather pattern factors.
However, I would imagine that those variables become less noticeable once
the raw leaves have been processed into cigarettes. At that point, the
variation may simply be by manufacturers of the finished product.
Good luck to anyone seeking to determine the answer.
-----Original Message-----
From: Christoph Hofmeyr
To: Bjorn Cedervall
Cc: radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu
Sent: 7/9/01 11:04 AM
Subject: RE: Po-210 in tobacco
Bjorn, Radsafers,
As I tried to indicate in a previous contribution, I would really like
to see the amount and variability of e.g. Polonium-210 in tobacco
quantified. Comparison with e.g. radon exposure should make some sense,
except if very strong synergisms are at work.
Own musings.
Chris Hofmeyr
chofmeyr@nnr.co.za
-----Original Message-----
From: Bjorn Cedervall [mailto:bcradsafers@HOTMAIL.COM]
Sent: Monday, July 09, 2001 8:37 AM
To: radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu
Subject: RE: Po-210 in tobacco
>More than a few years ago I attended a short OSHA radiation safety
course
>taught by Dr. Herbert Cember. In that class he opined that he thought
that
>more than 50% of lung cancers associated with cigarette smoking were
caused
>by the radioactivity (Po-210) in the cigarettes.
---
In 1977 (approx) it was stated that cigarette smoke contains at least
about
20 000 different chemical substances that are harmful to humans. I find
it
difficult to single out any one of those substances as responsible for
lung
cancers - or is there a shortcut to get the 50 % for Po-210 answer? And
in a
sense - who cares (OK we want to know about radiation risks) - when the
bottom line is "don't smoke!".
My personal ideas only,
Bjorn Cedervall bcradsafers@hotmail.com
http://www.geocities.com/bjorn_cedervall/
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