Re: A "dirty bomb" question

["Richard L. Hess" <lists@richardhess.com>]

At 10:17 PM 10/24/2003 -0400, LNMolino@AOL.COM wrote:

>As most of you know I teach in a federally sponsored (DHS ODP) training 

>program for Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD).

>

>How many elements from smoke detectors would it take to make an 

>"effective" dirty bomb?

>

>Note that as for effective we are speaking in terms of giving us (response 

>forces) a reading on a meter of greater than naturally occurring background.



I think a second answer to the word "effective" would be something that 

actually creates some health hazard or real need for cleanup. Just greater 

than naturally occurring background will certainly cause regulators to get 

all upset, but what real damage will it do?



How about amending it to background in Denver...or where is it Iran or India?



Maybe we should answer the question at several levels:



10µR/hr (background level)

100µR/hr

1mR/hr

10mR/hr



Thanks!



Richard





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