Re: Water monitoring

[AndrewsJP@aol.com]

In a message dated 11/15/2001 11:29:05 AM Eastern Standard Time, mark.hogue@SRS.GOV writes:



> While contaminating a water supply would be a viable threat, I think that using radioactive material for this purpose would be relatively ineffective. 


I'm having a hard time thinking up a scenario that would cause harm, other than worry, by putting any kind of radioactivity into any water system.  I won't list the obvious exceptions to this, but as far as I can tell, adding most alpha emitters to ordinary water will cause the local bottom material to become contaminated and not much will get into the water for any duration. Ordinary floculation and precipitation and filtration will remove most contaminants.  That doesn't mean that it will all be gone, but enough will be removed to prevent harm to the population.  


So, this leaves low level detection at the point of final processing.  That is, or should be, done by the water chemist using a low background counter on a routine basis. That said, what do you do if you find significant (still not harmful) radioactivity in the water.  This is a policy question that should be answered in the emergency plan because shutting off the water supply or restricting its use can be very harmful to many people.  I suggest that the policy makers for all water distribution agencies should look at this issue and have some answers prepared in the emergency plan for the agency.  This should allow reasonable levels of radioactivity in the water where they do not actually harm people and the reporting and distribution of this information to the uses in advance so the s___ is not scared out of them by "terrorists."


My opinions only.  I don't work for anybody anymore!


John Andrews

Knoxville, Tennessee