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Re: Potassium cell study
This was answered: To go further, ORNL removed the heavier 0.02% K-40
(along with the 6.9% K-41) in the calutrons. (This is easy to do, but not
cheap, because the low K weight makes a significant diff between 40 and 41
vs. 39.) They did this in several campaigns. The last I heard about (not
confirmed) was a batch for Argonne in the mid-80s (for $75K).
Using K-39 instead of nat-K caused debility and death in organisms and
cells; addition of the separated K-40 to the K-39, or nat-K, resulted in
recovery of the organisms, as did addition of external rad sources to
supplement the missing essential K-40 radiation for biology functions.
Ionizing radiation is essential for biology to function. In the early 2oth
Century experiments such as dissecting a frog to provide access to the
heart, and after death (heart stopping after brain death), a drop of water
with radioactivity restarted the heart.
See also some of the relevant materials at Section
1.2.3 Secondary biogenic radiation: Ionizing radiation as essential to life:
http://cnts.wpi.edu/rsh/DD3/1.2.3.htm
Regards, Jim Muckerheide
========================
on 7/10/02 8:55 PM, Kai Kaletsch at info@eic.nu wrote:
> Have large quantities of K without K-40 ever been produced? I would think
> that this would cost some $ and there would be some records.
>
> The way I understand it, when you make almost pure K-40 (centrifuge or
> membrane or how do you make it?), you are not left with almost completely
> depleted K, you are just left with very large quantities of very slightly
> depleted K. It would take a special effort to make completely depleted K.
>
> Kai
>
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