Re: AW: Dirty Bomb

[BLHamrick@AOL.COM]

In a message dated 10/28/2003 3:35:16 PM Pacific Standard Time, 

franz.schoenhofer@CHELLO.AT writes:

I do not know the EPA or any other US regulations and I do not want to bother 

you with the European regulations, but whatever the socalled "allowed dose" 

may be, one should not forget the ALARA principle: As low as reasonably 

achievable. This implies, that all precautions have to be taken, that maximum 

permissible doses will not only not be

exceeded, but not even reached. It is not justified to neglect possible 

measures to reduce the dose to the intervention personal by only making sure that 

they would not be exposed to more than the maximum permissible dose.

The situation we are talking about is an emergency response to a "dirty bomb" 

or other illegal use of radioactive materials, where there are persons that 

may be in need of immediate medical treatment, or otherwise endangered.  The 

dose limits for occupational radiation workers and ALARA regulations are not 

applicable in these situations, since those are directed at "licensed" uses of 

radioactive materials.



The reality is, we need to remember we may be balancing an immediate and 

certain death in a flaming building against a slightly increased risk of cancer 

years from now.



Barbara L. Hamrick, CHP, JD