[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Re: Fallout hotspots
During the era of atmospheric nuclear explosives testing, it was noted
that certain localized areas had radioactive fallout levels significantly
higher than what could be predicted by atmospheric dispersion models. These
typically occurred when the effluent cloud passed through areas of rain or
snow that washed out radioactive particulates causing localized areas
increased radioactivity at the ground surface. Increased levels were also
noted in forested area due to particulate impaction on foliage that was
subsequently washed off. Several such "hotspots" were identified. As I
recall, one of the more notable hotspots occurred in Rochester, NY and
affected photographic film produced at the Kodak plant.
Now, with the insights gained from the TFP, I theorize that such
hotspots preferentially occurred in areas where nuclear power plants were to
be built in the future accounting for the increased Sr-90 levels in
children's teeth that TFP is likely to find in such areas. Science marches
on!
> Hi Ted,
> Yes, that is the basic premise of the TFP, combined with the idea that it
> can't be fallout because sr90 has a 29 year halflife, meaning that sr90
> levels should have fallen by 1/2 in the last 30 years or so. Thus, if sr90
> levels in teeth are rising, then the r90 must be coming from nuclear
plants.
>
> norm
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>
> How many times do we have to go through this song & dance ?
>
> On Tuesday September 17, 2002 9:36 AM I sent the following message, the
> facts of which haven't suddenly changed :
>
> Norm chooses to keep repeating this nonsense, even after a number of
people
> on this list have taken the time to explain to him how these things work,
> since about two years on this list now.
>
> We can either ignore it, or we can go back into the archives and simply
keep
> re-stating the explanation. The latter is not for the benefit of Norm (who
> apparently is incapable of learning anything, or simply chooses to ignore
it
> for political reasons), but for any new people on this list who may get
the
> impression that Norm's "mystery" remains unexplained (sort of like the
crop
> circles "mystery" that keeps resurfacing every few years, hoping to snare
a
> few souls who managed to miss getting caught the last time around...).
>
> As stated previously, the reference book Environmental Radioactivity (4th
> edition, Eisenbud/Gesell), has
> a section devoted to the behaviour of radionuclides from nuclear weapons
> test fallout, beginning on page 297 (Chapter 9, Nuclear Weapons).
>
> Looking at the isolines of cumulative 90Sr deposits (Fig. 9-20 on page
299),
> we can see a large variability in local deposition rates, relative to
global
> or North American average figures.
>
> For instance, we can see that the area of the TFP surveys is inside the 80
> mCi/km^2 isoline (as is much of the Midwest and Newfoundland and a small
> piece of western British Columbia - including the city of Vancouver - and
> Seattle in Wash. State), while southern California is outside the 40
> mCi/km^2 isoline -- i.e. les than half as much 90Sr -- and Florida is just
> shy of 60 mCi/km^2.
>
> Most of Europe is about the same as Florida & Bahamas, the higher levels
> being in the northern Mediterranean & Adriatic sea areas...
>
> The heavy fallout in the TFP area, combined with other confounding factors
> like local calcium levels in soil & foods (i.e. diet deficiency) can
easily
> lead to TFP results with 90Sr levels similar to those of 1960s vintage
> levels in places like San Francisco or Los Angeles -- and voila, we have a
> mysterious situation ripe for blaming on NPPs...
>
> Two years ago, Norm wrote that "I'd certainly be interested in looking at
> this kind of data & I'll pass it on to
> the TFP."
> Well, so much for promises !
>
> Norm also wrote that "It is my understanding, though, that the majority of
> teeth so far have come from either South Florida, New Jersey, or Long
> Island. With the Indian Point accident recently, I do believe that a large
> number of teeth have come in from that area of NY."
>
> To which I replied,
>
> "EXACTLY -- most of southern New England, including New Jersey and Long
> Island/NY fall inside the 80mCi/km^2 isoline for 90Sr bomb test fallout.
> The southern tip of Florida as well as Cuba appear to be right on the
> 60mCi/km^2 isoline - with increasing values towards the north-east, in the
> direction of the Bahamas, Bermuda and the British Isles. By contrast, most
> of South America, Southern & West Africa and Australia are below 10
> mCi/km^2, so don't even bother collecting teeth there (just quote their
> 1960s 90Sr levels and point out how much higher today's levels are in the
> TFP collection areas of the US -- all of course due to those evil NPPs
!!).
> You have a much better chance of scaring the public with the TFP data in
> places like Detroit, Chicago, Cincinnati, Mineapolis/St.Paul, Des Moines,
> Portland, Seattle and Vancouver -- all of which fall inside or on the 80
> mCi/km^2 isoline (northern Japan is also a good bet - make sure you point
> the accusing finger at last year's Tokaimura fuel fabrication plant
> accident... I mean, as long as you're going to talk about the Indian
Point
> "accident", right ?)."
>
> So round & round we go, on the merry-go-round, right Norm ?
> Just out of curiosity, do you plan to trot out this bogey man on a
> semi-annual basis ? quarterly ? annual ?
>
> Jaro
> <end quote>
>
> ....so here we go again.
>
> Jaro
> ========================
>
> ************************************************************************
> You are currently subscribed to the Radsafe mailing list. To
> unsubscribe, send an e-mail to Majordomo@list.vanderbilt.edu Put the
> text "unsubscribe radsafe" (no quote marks) in the body of the e-mail,
> with no subject line. You can view the Radsafe archives at
> http://www.vanderbilt.edu/radsafe/
************************************************************************
You are currently subscribed to the Radsafe mailing list. To
unsubscribe, send an e-mail to Majordomo@list.vanderbilt.edu Put the
text "unsubscribe radsafe" (no quote marks) in the body of the e-mail,
with no subject line. You can view the Radsafe archives at
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/radsafe/