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Re: Brazil Nut Radwaste Standard

This part of the information is not strictly the answer of this question, however there is connection and it is very interesting to learn how Dr. S.Y. Chen, leader of the Risk Assessment and Safety Evaluation Group at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) explains radioactive risk using one of most popular nuts that grow in the Brazilian States of Amazon and Para, the Brazil Nuts, that  in Brazil we call Castanha do Para. Formally it was possible to read the text "Brazil Nuts Help Explain Radioactive Risk"
 at the site http://www.ead.anl.gov/~pubs/article/braznut.htm - the file is  not more found - However I have it and to those interested, please send-me an e-mail.
 
Another point  is the value  "Brazil nuts that typically have a natural radioactivity content in excess
of 3.0 nCi/g" - Please GO TO http://hps.org/publicinformation/ate/q1147.html  - "The ORNL study stated that the total alpha activity in Brazil nuts ranged from 0.9 to 19 pCi/g" - The most common fig found in the literature is 14 pCi/g.
I have opportunity to host Dr. Eisembud in Brazil and offer to him an special dessert - Brazilian Nut Pudding
 
Jose de Julio Rozental
joseroze@netvision.net.il
Israel
 
 
 
----- Original Message -----
From: "Joan Stovall" <joans@PCEZ.COM>
To: "Jerry Cohen" <jjcohen@PRODIGY.NET>; "Susan L Gawarecki" <loc@icx.net>; "RADSAFE" <radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu>
Sent: Saturday, June 07, 2003 6:53 AM
Subject: Re: Brazil Nut Radwaste Standard

> Good point about Brazil nuts.  I remember someone was trying to do an
> epidemiological study involving people, who ate large quantities of Brazil
> nuts.  I am not sure of any results ever being published.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jerry Cohen" <jjcohen@PRODIGY.NET>
> To: "Susan L Gawarecki" <loc@icx.net>; "RADSAFE"
> <radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu>
> Sent: Friday, June 06, 2003 4:58 PM
> Subject: Re: Brazil Nut Radwaste Standard
>
>
> >
> >
> > >
> > > But then came the discovery in 2002 that Boeing's Rocketdyne laboratory
> > > in
> > > Ventura County had dumped tons of waste with very low levels of
> > > radioactivity at three Los Angeles city landfills.
> > >
> > > The outcry over the Rocketdyne waste prompted state legislation that
> > > would have prohibited industrial waste with even trace amounts of
> > > radiation from going to public sites.
> > >
> > > Gov. Gray Davis vetoed the legislation, but banned industrial disposal
> > > until the state could develop its own standards.
> > >
> > > It's not known how much radioactive waste has ended up in public
> > > landfills across the state.
> >
> >     Several years ago, I was involved in a DOE sponsored study to
> determine
> > a reasonable
> >  de minimis, or BRC level for radioactive waste. One of the conclusions
> was
> > that any waste
> > containing less than 1.0 nCi/g (regardless of the specific radionuclides)
> > could be considered essentially non-radioactive and disposed of
> accordingly.
> > Although this conclusion may have been scientifically sensible, it was
> > politically incorrect and as such, was ignored.
> >     One on the many irrationalities in radiation safety regulations is
> > allowing the consumption of Brazil nuts that typically have a natural
> > radioactivity content in excess
> > of 3.0 nCi/g. Apparently, it's OK to eat them, but not to dispose of them
> in
> > landfills.
> > If we were to set a de minimis  radioactvity in landfill standard of <3.0
> > nCi/g, based on the Brazil nut, I wonder if it would it be accepted? I
> doubt
> > it, but it might be fun to try.
> >
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>
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