Re: Good Morning America

["Bruce B. Dicey, X-2320" <RSDBBD@vegas.las.epa.gov>]

Correct - looking back to some of the "ancient history" of development of 
the various limits (ICRP 2, etc.) -- a good number of what appear to be 
limits much lower than might be indicated by radiation characteristics 
alone can be traced to early studies that showed heavy metal toxicity as 
an overriding consideration.  This is idscussed briefly in note 52f of ICRP 
6, which states "Because of the low specific activity of certain other 
radioactive materials with very long radioactive half-lives, _the mass or 
chemical toxicity will in general determine maximum rates of intake.  
Similar considerations will apply also to the values given in Table I of 
IRCP Publication 2._  Similar discussions have, of course, appeared in 
later literature, but the references in ICRP 2 and ICRP 6 are among the 
earliest (1959) I could find.

The Joan Lunden program to be broadcast tonight promises to be 
"interesting" -- it was originally produced to highlight the activities of 
the DOE Nuclear Emergency Search Team (NEST) program and has been in 
production for quite some time (around a year) - much of it was taped 
during a NEST exercise in New Orleans.

Is it too much to ask for both accuracy AND ratings ????

Happy television viewing fellow HPs.

>>> usual disclaimer <<<

Bruce Dicey
Sr. Health Physicist
EPA Las Vegas
(702) 798-2320