AW: Article: Radiation in Water Stumps Experts

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

    -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----

    Von: owner-radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu

[mailto:owner-radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu]Im Auftrag von Barry E. Muller

    Gesendet: Montag, 09. Februar 2004 17:31

    An: John Jacobus

    Cc: radsafe; know_nukes

    Betreff: Re: Article: Radiation in Water Stumps Experts





    Most likely Rn-222 which has (had?) a limit of 10,000 pCi/L in

groundwater.  Because of the short half-life of Rn-222 any changes in

secondary porosity (think folding and/or faulting) may increase flow rates

and allow water with higher levels of Rn-222 to get into the wells.  This

possible interpretation would be consistent with findings from my research

on Rn-222 from groundwater from the Ohio Shale (from 10-years ago) and

adjacent formations and other folk's work on the Marcellus Needmore shale in

New York state.

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    Barry,



    The only method I know about the determination of "gross alpha" and

"gross beta" is the evaporation of a water sample and measuring it with some

gas-flow low-level proportional counter, assigning the counts per minute to

some more or less (rather more) undefined "activities", which are derived

from "standards" of some more or less (rather more) arbitrary selected

radionuclides (Sr-90+Y-90, K-40 or similar for betas and "natural uranium"

or similar for alphas). These undefined values are corrected for the source

thickness, adding the final uncertainty.



    One thing is for sure in this procedure: The radon (and tritium as well

as any other volatile compound) will be removed. So changes in "gross

whatsoever" cannot be attributed to radon and your explanation cannot be

accepted.



    As long as it is not known, what radionuclide causes enhanced

radioactivity, I would never release any information and especially not to

the press.



    The failures of these "gross" measurements have been discussed

extensively among scientists and I myself have banned any such measurements

from my laboratory 15 years ago, when I took over.



    Best regards,



    Franz