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Re: Good Morning America
Reply to: RE>>Good Morning America
Reply to John DeLaHunt -
No, in the case of plutonium, it's the internal dose from alpha radiation that
causes the problem. The heavy-metal type chemical toxicity would be
negligible compared to the radiation dose. This comes about mostly due to the
relatively high specific activity (curies per gram) of "normal" mixtures of
Pu., (coupled with its alpha radiation, and the long biological halftimes.)
The specific activity of the Pu in weapons is about 0.08 microcuries per
microgram.
The dose conversion factor for inhaled Pu-oxide is roughly 300 rem (committed
effective dose equivalent) per microcurie of Pu inhaled. Linear hypothesis
notwithstanding (!), you can get a rough (ROUGH) idea of cancer risks by using
say,
5 E-4 (0.0005) fatal cancers per rem. [All of you risk guys give me a break
here, I'm just trying to get us into the right ballpark.]
So you get a cancer mortality risk of about 0.012 (about 1/83) per microgram
of Pu that you inhale. So it IS nasty stuff, but it is not "the deadliest
substance" in the known universe.
The above is all my own probably worthless opinion, and has not been reviewed
by anyone. If you are looking for info that has, in fact, been reviewed by
someone, take a look at the recent report "A Perspective on the Dangers of
Plutonium,", Sutcliff et al, UCRL-JC-118825, which should be available from
the National Technical Information Service. (For DOE types, this document
should be available from the Office of Scientific and Technical Information,
Oak Ridge, (615) 576-8401.
Another aside to John - perhaps you are thinking of the chemical toxicity of
uranium. The specific activity of uranium is so low that it can, in fact, be
a chemical hazard long before it becomes a radiological problem.
Oh yes, one final point. The "Hot Particle" theory is bullshit. Take a look
at any of the recent ICRP or NCRP reports on inhalation of alpha emitters.
--------------------------------------
Date: 10/17/95 3:09 PM
To: GARY MANSFIELD
From: radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu
>>Did anyone catch the Good Morning America program this morning. Joan L.
>>was, apparently, doing a promo for a special of hers (I think tonight) -
>>part at Los Alamos. Showed her with a Pu shape in a cladding. She
>>commented on the heat then came "one of the most hazardous substances known"
>>and "a particle as small as the head of a pin inhaled will cause your
>>death". The quotes are not exact but close enough. The death statement was
>>the stating of an absolute fact. All the discussions of the linear
>>hypothesis we have been seeing really don't mean a thing until we get this
>>kid of statement corrected. A few words on Good Morning America repeated in
>>more detail on a special program has more affect than tons of our words
>>preaching to the choir. How do you counter act this sort of thing?
>
>The most effective way to counter tihs is to offer Joan a education in
>proper terminology. This offer should be made with the condition that if she
>declines to get the truth that the descrepancies in her program will be
>shared with her advisaries.
Anyone know the chemical LD50 of plutonium? Not that it's easy or possible
to divorce the radioactive component from the chemical component, but the
alpha dose might be insignificant if the metal itself is toxic.
This has always been my understanding of plutonium -- it's not the alphas,
it's the metal -- but I'm young.
I had heard, from a non-toxicologist, that 1/60,000 of a gram of plutonium
was enough to cause statistically significant increased cancer rates.
Why are the max permissible air concentrations so low (as in 10^-13 uCi/cc
low), if a small amount isn't dangerous?
Just curious.
John
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From: jdelahunt@cc.colorado.edu (John DeLaHunt)
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Subject: Re: Good Morning America
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