RE: VARIATIONS IN BACKGROUND

["Grimm, Lawrence" <LGrimm@FACNET.UCLA.EDU>]

Radsafers: 



As a follow-up to Kjell Johansen's email re USA terrestrial gamma ray exposure, just a few fun things to consider:



1) Farming locations are often potassium deficient, and farming activity depletes the available potassium. Farmers must supplant the potassium via fertilizers.  Therefore farmers spread radioactive material(ala K-40)onto their soil.  



2) Depending on where the fertilizer components were mined, there can be quite a bit of Uranium in fertilizer.  The following study demonstrates that farming activity has increased the amount of Uranium runoff into the Gulf of Mexico - "Uranium in Runoff from the Gulf of Mexico Distributive Province: Anomalous Concentrations", Spalding and Sackett, Science, Vol 175, pp 629-631, 11 Feb 1972.  Dr Spalding has a number of studies of this ilk and he kindly explained them in depth to me.  



3) I don't have the study but I remember Spalding studied the consequences of disturbing the earth and its effect on Radium.  By exposing Radium to air via activities such as digging wells and farming, it becomes oxidized and therefore more soluble.  Of course being more soluble, it ends up in streams and rivers.     

 

I have fun with the anti-nuclear types by using these facts/studies. I accuse the accuser of being duplicitous because we all condone the above activities.  As both a tactic and statement of reality, it quite frequently throws the anti-nuclear for a loop.  I had one guy sputtering in front of a crowd - and guess who won the debate that day - me. 



Kjell Johansen: Thanks for the info, I had forgotten where to find those map sites on the web.



Larry Grimm, Senior HP

UCLA EH&S/ Radiation Safety Division

*	lgrimm@admin.ucla.edu   Phone:310/206-0712   Fax: 310/206-9051

*	On Campus: 501 Westwood Plaza, 4th Floor, MS 951605

*	Off Campus: UCLA Radiation Safety Div, 501 Westwood Plaza 4th

Fl, Box 951605, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1605

*	If this email is not RSD business, the opinions are mine, not

UCLA's.

  



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