[ RadSafe ] Re: Salsman RE: Gardner Sellafield cluster

[Dimiter Popoff]

Richard,

> I don't have a cite, but hasn't the lead plumbing (the root Latin word is 
> plumbum, isn't it, meaning lead?) in the water supply of ancient Roman been 
> at least partially blamed for that civilization's downfall? Has this been 
> confirmed or deprecated?

my memory from school tells me they did use lead pipes; as a consequence,
they had a life expectancy of about 40 years. I also remember that lead
poisoning resulted in lead replacing calcium in the bones which somehow
is not very healthy (but I have no idea why...).
 I am pretty sure my memory is correct, however I have not verified
the data for correctness.

> But there is a widespread awareness of heavy metal issues. I worry much 
> more now as I solder with lead-bearing solder (now outlawed in the EU, if I 
> understand the regulations correctly) than I used to, for example...but 
> ...

I have not been buying solder recently - but soon I'll have to so I'll know.

However, are you sure there is a significant quantity of lead one can
inhale while soldering? My first reaction to this is "no way", but
I have never measured it - and measurement being my second (first?...)
nature (once a friend watched in amazement how I was trimming
the water for the coffeemaker looking at the meniskus...), I am really
curious about some numbers on that.

Dimiter

------------------------------------------------------
Dimiter Popoff               Transgalactic Instruments

http://www.tgi-sci.com
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> To: James Salsman <james at bovik.org>, radsafe at radlab.nl
> From: "Richard L. Hess" <lists at richardhess.com>
> Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Salsman RE: Gardner Sellafield cluster 
> Cc: Fred.Dawson199 at mod.uk
> 
> At 05:39 AM 5/4/2005, James Salsman wrote in part:
> 
> >In any case, I think there needs to be a distinction -- which I,
> >as an outsider, must say is not always made explicit in the
> >publications of the health physics community -- between general
> >exposure to radiation and contamination with radioactive heavy
> >metals which are toxic in their own right.
> >
> >E.g, if someone tries to calculate only the radiation exposure
> >risk from a certain level of uranium ingestion or inhalation,
> >that will seriously underestimate the risk of chromosome damage,
> >because of U's catalytic production of hydroxyl radicals which
> >damage DNA, RNA, proteins, and other vital substances.  There is
> >evidence that error will amount to fully six orders of magnitude
> >-- or five orders of magnitude for plutonium.
> >
> >Frankly, I think heavy metal toxicity hypotheses will explain a
> >wide variety of observed symptoms which have been attributed to
> >radiation but denied as infeasible by health physicists based on
> >radiological dose calculations alone.
> 
> Hello, James,
> 
> As one amateur to another <smile> I think you've hit a major point that 
> applies to many things alleged to be radiological, including, I think, DU.
> 
> But there is a widespread awareness of heavy metal issues. I worry much 
> more now as I solder with lead-bearing solder (now outlawed in the EU, if I 
> understand the regulations correctly) than I used to, for example...but 
> then I'm older now and something else will probably get me before my 
> infrequent forays into lead-based electronics solder (oh, and for 21 years 
> I've used lead-free solder on my copper plumbing).
> 
> Remember lead-based paint? I knew people who still used it and preferred it 
> into the 1980s--some of them making it themselves.
> 
> I don't have a cite, but hasn't the lead plumbing (the root Latin word is 
> plumbum, isn't it, meaning lead?) in the water supply of ancient Roman been 
> at least partially blamed for that civilization's downfall? Has this been 
> confirmed or deprecated?
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Richard 
>