Re: variations in background

[Muckerheide <muckerheide@attbi.com>]

Hi Mike,



>From a simple perspective: the low end is in a geographic area with

no/negligible U and Th, so sea-level cosmic, internal K-40, external K-40,

Rb-87. Without extremes, say 60-70 mrem/yr (0.6-0.7 mSv/yr).



Add U and Th (external with decay chain Ra, Rn, etc., with elevation, to a

range of 600-800+ mrem/yr (6-8 mSv/yr) in some regions. In high dose

regions, with smaller populations, a few rem, up to 3-7 rem/yr (3000-7000

mrem, 30-70 mSv), with the highest local area in Ramsar Iran at 10-30 rem/yr

(10,000-30,000 mrem/yr, 100-300 mSv, 1-3 Sv), with hottest at locations in

some residences up to 70 rem/yr near a specific wall (but people living in

the residence not likely getting more than about 30 rem/year).



There are no significant adverse health effects in these regions (with

substantial health benefits indicated) including the people in the high-dose

area of Ramsar (from formation of high radium concentrations), who often

live to be more than 100 years old, in good health in their advanced years.



[ And EPA's LNT-fraud-justified limit on radium in drinking water (one

trivial pathway/rad-protection-opportunity from that natural background

radiation exposure) is set at 4 mrem/year. Clearly justified ONLY by a

criminal intent to defraud the public! ]



Regards, Jim





on 9/7/02 12:55 PM, Michael G. Stabin at michael.g.stabin@vanderbilt.edu

wrote:



> 

> I quite often cite levels of natural background radiation, for comparisons

> to other exposures. Sometimes, we say that very low exposures are "within

> the variability" of natural background. Can anyone tell me, for the US, what

> a reasonable value is for this variability? For Tennessee, we cite an

> average value of 3 mSv/y, but what would a reasonable estimate be for the

> variability of this number, for ex, one standard deviation? Thanks.

> 

> Mike

> 

> Michael G. Stabin, PhD, CHP

> Assistant Professor of Radiology and Radiological Sciences

> Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences

> Vanderbilt University

> 1161 21st Avenue South

> Nashville, TN 37232-2675

> Phone (615) 343-0068

> Fax   (615) 322-3764

> e-mail     michael.g.stabin@vanderbilt.edu

> internet   www.doseinfo-radar.com

> 

> 

> 

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