RE: Po-210 in tobacco

["Christoph Hofmeyr" <chofmeyr@nnr.co.za>]

Prof Cohen,

I seem to remember hearing about the (Martell) conjecture at about the

time you indicated.  I am a bit frustrated by RP issues being left

unresolved, so thanks for pointing out the outcome of that debate.

However, opinions and data referenced still seem to range ridiculously

wide:  Quoting from the links provided by Jim Nelson on 1st July

(webspawner), one finds Po-210 data in tobacco corresponding to about

320 pCi per 20-pack, 8 pCi (Indian tobacco) to 45 pCi (American) and

0.72 pCi intake per pack.  At a pack a day, the corresponding committed

effective doses vary from 12.8 mSv (1.3 rem), down to 0.03 mSv per

annum, using an IBSS conversion factor for Po-210.  Total obfuscation.

 

So where does the truth lie?  One would like some clarification!  There

could be an interesting link to radon, seeing domestic radon is good for

a few mSv/a.  Radon studies in Germany have claimed smoking to be a very

powerful confounding factor, even in high radon areas.

Own musings

Chris Hofmeyr

chofmeyr@nnr.co.za





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

From: Bernard L Cohen [mailto:blc+@pitt.edu]

Sent: Tuesday, July 10, 2001 4:41 PM

To: Christoph Hofmeyr

Cc: Bjorn Cedervall; radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu

Subject: RE: Po-210 in tobacco







	About 25 years ago, Ed Martell at National Bureau of Standards

in

Boulder, CO published a series of papers purporting to show that the

lung

cancer from smoking was due to the Po-210 in the tobacco. This theory

was

debated fairly extensively, and I thought the final conclusion was that

Martell was wrong - it was chemical effects rather than radiation that

was

causing the lung cancer. What is causing this new flurry of interest?



Bernard L. Cohen

Physics Dept.

University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PA 15260

Tel: (412)624-9245

Fax: (412)624-9163

e-mail: blc+@pitt.edu





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