Re: Background radiationlevel in USA

[JMUCKERHEIDE@delphi.com]

Rick,

Is this 'difference' from wood/prefab vs brick/concrete independent of radon
in the area (since I would have thought Australia had a wide variation in U/Th 
concentrations. Is this with the same arbitrary WsubR used by ICRP to
"convert" radon decay product lung dose to "WB dose"? Also, does the paper
ref'd state the range of cosmic variation? 

Does the difference in geography lead to population groups exposed to
significant differences (eg, the US geographic differences, eg, US EPA data);
and health effects studies (the Frigerio and related studies that contradict
the linear model for dose and cancer, and Bernie Cohen's radon studies that
confirm those results for radon and lung cancer)? 

Thanks.

Regards, Jim Muckerheide
jmuckerheide@delphi.com
Radiation, Science, and Health
=============================================
> Hi Kwan,
> 
> 
> For comaprison purposes, the background radiation levels in Australia range
> from 1400 microSv (wooden or prefabricated house construction) to 2160
> micrSv (brick or concrete). The difference is primarily due to different
> radon concentrations.
> 
> Ref: J.M. Costello "Radioactivity in the environment" Radiation Protection
> in Australia, 1983, Vol 1, 21-27
> 
> 
> At 03:22 PM 6.9.96 -0500, you wrote:
> >Dear  Radsafers:
> >
> >I would liek to know what is the 'official' US background radiation level
> >and the reference for it.
> >
> >How does this value compare with other countries? is it a publication on this.
> >
> >Thanks
> >
> >Kwan
> >Kwan Hoong Ng, PhD, MIPSM
> >Department of Medical Physics
> >University of Wisconsin
> >1300 University Avenue
> >Madison, WI 53706
> >
> >Office  608 263 4355
> >Home 608 231 9050
> >Fax:     608 262 2413
> >
> Richard Smart PhD
> Department of Nuclear Medicine
> St. George Hospital
> Kogarah, NSW 2217
> Australia
> Tel:61 2 9350 3112
> Fax:61 2 9350 3991
> Email:R.Smart@unsw.edu.au