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RE: LNT and resources [Was: Scientific responsibility]
My example is rather plain and the exposure rate limit and distance is the
standard we must meet for a glove box. My company produces most of the
world's demand for radioisotopes for nuclear medicine. Enough said.
You say that you have not "heard" of experiences such as these. All I can
say is that it can happen, it does happen, and I have seen it happen. You
simply were not privy to such experiences. What of it?
Note that regulatory limits apply to all aspects of the production and the
accrued costs are anything but "chump change". The result is that some
radioisotope technologies that may be better-suited for the task at hand
cannot be brought to market.
We should try to stick to the facts at hand and not base counter-arguments
on the lack of personal experience. Others are bound to have experiences
beyond your own. One should simply do the (tangible/concrete) math for
themselves.
Respectfully yours,
Grant
-----Original Message-----
From: John Jacobus [mailto:crispy_bird@yahoo.com]
Sent: Friday, June 20, 2003 12:49 PM
To: NIXON, Grant (Kanata); radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu
Subject: RE: LNT and resources [Was: Scientific responsibility]
Grant,
I find your example a bit convoluted. You shield and
monitor your workers to reduce expouses below some
regulatory limit. I do not understand why you picked
3 mR/h at 6 inches. Where I work, we do basic medical
and biological research, and do this kind of work all
the time.
I have never heard of a medical research program that
could not be funded due to costs for safety,
radiological or not. Have you? When you talk about
programs that run $100k or more, the cost of shielding
boxes is "chump change."
Again, have you heard of a program that was not
started due to cost of radiation protecion equipment?
--- "NIXON, Grant (Kanata)" <GNIXON@MDS.Nordion.com>
wrote:
>
> Hi John,
>
> Here is a very simple example:
>
> Say you are in the cancer-fighting business and wish
> to try-out a promissing
> new technology. You wish to build a glove box to
> handle, say 10 Ci, of a
> radionuclide that, aside from its predomiantly
> low-energy spectrum, happens
> to have a very low-intensity (say, 0.01%/dis)
> high-energy component (say,
> 500 keV).
>
> Try designing a (transparent) glove box (or one with
> a see-through window)
> that effectively reduces the transmitted field to
> below 3 mR/h at 6 inches
> from the glove box surface, as required by
> legislation. You will find that
> the difficulty and cost associated with this simple
> task is very high
> indeed.
>
> You state that you "do not accept" that the
> resources (read "cost") involved
> pose a detriment to society. Cost and profits
> determine whether projects get
> completed. Not completing a project due to the high
> capital cost of a new
> form of cancer treatment can prove an obvious case
> of where there may be a
> detriment to society.
>
> Respectfully yours,
>
> Grant
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: John Jacobus [mailto:crispy_bird@YAHOO.COM]
> Sent: Friday, June 20, 2003 8:17 AM
> To: radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu
> Subject: LNT and resources [Was: Scientific
> responsibility]
>
>
> I have a question for the group. Can anyone give a
> idea how replacement of the LNT with a different
> model, e.g., threshold at 500 mrem or 5mSv, will
> change how business will be done in radiation
> protection? What practices will change? Surveys?
> Documentation of environmental monitoring? Staff?
> What legislation and regulations will change?
>
> More importantly, how much cash will be saved? I
> will
> not consider that the "resources" saved will be used
> for public good.
>
=====
-- John
John Jacobus, MS
Certified Health Physicist
e-mail: crispy_bird@yahoo.com
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