RE: Radioactivity (Bq) in tobacco

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

Bjorn, Radsafers,

I think one should read the full document to get the full story, even if

it is a bit cumbersome to download.  The 2000 pCi/g (74 Bq/g) relate to

the old definition of when something is radioactive, and Ash has claimed

that according to his calculations, cigarette smoke would qualify

(mainly K-40).  Table II comes up with a measured specific activity of

34 -36 pCi/g in the cigarette and  about 0.1 pCi finding its way into

the 'mainstream' smoke of one cigarette, giving 3.5 - 5.5 pCi/g of

smoke, which is somewhat contrary to Ash's claims.  (Another group

claims that the alpha activity basically stays in the ash).  To

summarise: Ash claims it is in the smoke, the paper shows it is in the

ash - so only 0.005 Bq in the smoke of one cigarette, which contained

about 1 Bq in the smoked part.  Mind, you, it is a BATCo document, where

T stands for Tobacco, I presume.

Purely my own thoughts.

Chris Hofmeyr

chofmeyr@nnr.co.za



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

From: Bjorn Cedervall [mailto:bcradsafers@HOTMAIL.COM]

Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2001 1:15 AM

To: radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu

Subject: Radioactivity (Bq) in tobacco





I just saw the following document:

http://www.hlth.gov.bc.ca/guildford/pdf/006/00000663.pdf



2000 micromicrocuries (about 80 Bq) per gram of tobacco smoke.



Questions:

1. Is this number representative?

2. What is the breakdown in various radionuclides?

3. What does this number correspond to in terms of Bq/cigarette

(one cigarette weighs about one gram - part of which could be the

filter)?

(4. Where is the Bq police? It is allowed to exhale... Oops.)



Just my personal initiative and reflections,



Bjorn Cedervall    bcradsafers@hotmail.com





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