RE: Article: Radiation in Water Stumps Experts

["Baratta, Edmond J" <EBARATTA@ORA.FDA.GOV>]

Franz:



 



Presently the EPA doesn't have a limit for Radon-222.



 



Ed



 



Edmond J. Baratta



Radiation Safety Officer



Tel. No. 781-729-5700, ext 728



FAX: 781-729-3593



 



-----Original Message-----

From: Franz Schoenhofer [mailto:franz.schoenhofer@CHELLO.AT] 

Sent: Tuesday, February 10, 2004 5:38 PM

To: Barry E. Muller; John Jacobus

Cc: radsafe; know_nukes

Subject: AW: Article: Radiation in Water Stumps Experts



 



 



-----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