Re: radioactivity from fossil fuel power stations

[Bernard L Cohen <blc+@PITT.EDU>]

	In comparing nuclear with coal burning electricity, the exposure

to humans is dominated by radon. When coal is mined out of the ground and

made to "disappear" as carbon dioxide, its carbon is replaced in the

ground by other rock which contains U, Th, Ra which eventually becomes

radon. killing about 30 future Americans per GWe-year. When Uranium is

mined to produce nuclear fuel, it is prevented from eventually converting

to radon, and this action saves several hundred American lives per

GWe-year. These matters are treated in much more detail in my paper in

Health Physics 40:19ff;1981



Bernard L. Cohen

Physics Dept.

University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PA 15260

Tel: (412)624-9245

Fax: (412)624-9163

e-mail: blc+@pitt.edu





On Wed, 1 Aug 2001, MW Charles wrote:



> Dear Colleagues

> 

> Have there been any recent publications dealing with the 

> topic of radioactive emissions from non-nuclear (fossil 

> fuels - coal, oil, gas)power stations?  I am out of date 

> on this topic.  I recall that the environmental levels of 

> radioactivity in the vicinity of such stations can be 

> comaparable or in excess of those around nuclear sites, 

> depending on the type and grade of fuel burnt.

> 

> Thanks

> 

> 

> 

> Dr Monty Charles

> schoolof Physics & Astronomy

> the University of Birmingham

> Edgbaston

> Birmingham B15 2TT

> Tel +44 (0) 1214143483

> FAX +44 (0) 1214144725

> 

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