Thanks very much Stewart -- I think this, together with the details about Goiania provided by Jose Julio, provides a reasonable picture of likely exposures & consequences for would-be terrorists.
Your comment that "There are endless possibilities on how it might be done. With some planning, some handling tools, and some shielding, the dose could be reduced sharply from what one
would calculate for am assumed total of 1 hour at 1 foot unshielded" ......brings to mind images of the early-20th-century practice of radiation scientists/technicians working at a desk, with a big slab of lead positioned in front of their chest (ie. the arms & head getting unshielded exposure....).
What struck me when I watched the NOVA show is how much worse all their hyped scenarios would be if the RAM were replaced with chemical or biological toxins -- or merely a small amount of flammable material, like the recent S. Korean subway disaster. Somehow its just not as scary I guess, even if dozens of people die on the spot.....
Sure you can put radiation detectors everywhere -- now what about flammable materials detectors ???
The whole media industry has gone nuts, IMO.
Jaro
PS. sorry about mis-spelling CDC ( I wrote "DCD").
-----Original Message-----
From: Stewart Farber [mailto:farbersa@optonline.net]
Sent: Thursday February 27, 2003 6:28 AM
To: Radsafe
Cc: High Plains Drifter
Subject: Re: Nova - Dirty Bombs - London Scenario question
Hi:
ERRATA to my earlier post on the above:
Need to correct the second sentence [copied below] from my post on the above
subject. In tossing my notes on the rough calculation, noticed that it should
read:
"If the terrorists spent 1 hour at say 1 foot from this unshielded source [??? a
wag assumption] in fabricating the bomb and transporting it they would receive
about 7,000 R whole body."
Sorry for the error in making a quick post. At 2 feet the approximate dose would
be 4 times lower or about 1,750 R whole body.
<SNIP>