AW: Exposure and Irradiation: Cause and Effect

["Franz Schoenhofer" <franz.schoenhofer@CHELLO.AT>]

-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----

Von: owner-radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu

[mailto:owner-radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu]Im Auftrag von Strom, Daniel J

Gesendet: Dienstag, 05. August 2003 22:32

An: joseroze@netvision.net.il; radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu; Watson,

Charles R; ograabe@UCDAVIS.EDU

Betreff: RE: Exposure and Irradiation: Cause and Effect





Jose,



If you read my article, you will understand why the phrase "internal

exposure" is an oxymoron. All ionizing radiation energy of relevance to

health is deposited or absorbed internally, whether the source is external

or internal. The fact that the IAEA has continued to use the phrase

"internal exposure" is not persuasive.



-------------------------------



And I do not have any problem with distinguishing (as the IAEA does) between

an exposure or whatever you call it in your personal terminology,

originating from a source outside the body or from an incorporated

radionuclide. You hopefully agree, that a source of Gigabequerels of

tritium, well contained in a well sealed flask will not affect anybody, but

it might, when it is incorporated and the tritium is well distributed in the

cells. A source of I-131 will expose a human being, when it is outside the

body, but as soon as the I-131 is inhaled, adminstered etc. it will cause an

extremely different effect especially on the thyroid! I hope you agree that

radon daughters, flying around in indoor air will not harm anybody - unless

they are inhaled, deposited in the lung and cause probably harmful internal

exposure.



Your problem seems to be, that you only consider gamma-emitters and forget

about beta- and alpha-emitters. And not even for gamma-emitters it is true,

because the distance from an external irradiating source will influence the

dose received, but as soon as the gamma-emitter is incorporated this is not

true.



I conclude, that distinguishing between external and internal irradiation,

exposure etc. is more than justified.



Best regards,



Franz



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