Re: "POLLUTION FREE"

[rkathren@beta.tricity.wsu.edu (ronald kathren)]

There are indeed releases of radioactivity in the burning of fossil fuels --
indeed in the release of anything to the environment.  The carbon (released
as carbon dioxide) does contain C-14, and measurable quantities are
released.  BUT the isotopic fraction is lower than in the modern carbon in
the environment, hence the Suess effect.  Most of the other natural
radioactivity is contained in the bottom ash rather than the fly ash,
although coal with high uranium content may release some radiologically
significant amounts of Th-230.  See UNSCEAR for further information, or pp.
77-78 in "Radioactivity in the Environment".  But the real purpoose of this
is to hope that we will not try to justify nuclear power by noting that coal
fired plants release more radioactivity.  Such an overly simplistic
comparison does not do our profession justice.  Let us not lost sight of our
mission:  PROTECTION OF PEOPLE (maybe especially workers) AND THE
ENVIRONMENT FROM THE HARMFUL EFFECTS OF RADIATION, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME
REALIZING THE BENEFITS FOR MANKIND.  A tall order, but we can do it.

Ron Kathren


  


>At 08:06 PM 30/11/95 -0600, you wrote:
>>     Paul Vitalis covers a lot of ground on big picture risks for 
>>     electricity generation in his note below.  I did gather some 
>>     specifics on "pollution" and provide those for a quantitiative 
>>     comparison:
>>     
>>     Characterize wastes from steam electricity generation:
>>     
>>     Fossil fuel power creates air pollution that is:
>>          large volume
>>          direct input to the environment
>>          not contained, no controls
>>          not persistent (is it diluted so much we don't care          
>>               anymore?)
>>     
>
>I'm joining this thread late, so perhaps this has already been brought up,
>but are there not detectable releases of radioactivity during the burning of
>fossil fuels?  Also, there is a great deal more variability in the quality
>of fossil fuels in use - some areas of the world burn some pretty low grade
>coal - as well as a lot less in the way of controls and regulation.
>
>Alan Enns
>aenns@unixg.ubc.ca
>
>
>