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Re: Contaminated Crates?



>dwayne.gardner@po.state.ct.us wrote:
>>
>> --???_???
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>>
>> A  citizen who moved here from Ukraine 5 years ago has a concern. Seems she
>> has discovered the wooden crates she used to ship her personal belongings in
>> were made from trees harvested from the areas close to Chernobyl. I'm not
>> sure how she knows this but she seems pretty sure.
>>
>> Her question is should she be concerned about continuing to use these
>> crates. I'd be interested to hear what everyone thinks about this. Also, if
>> anyone can recommend any studies/articles related to this specific topic
>> (not Chernobyl in general) I'd be grateful. Thanks
>>
>> Dwayne Gardner
>> CT DEP
>> dwayne.gardner@po.state.ct.us
>> Fax: 860-424-4065
>>
>> --???_???--
>Uptake of Cs-137 by trees will occur from contaminated soils, depending
>upon the extent of the contamination.  I would expect that contamination
>to be inherent to the wood itself, and to not be very likely to pose
>any serious exposure or contamination concerns.  If the individual
>moved from the Ukraine 5 years ago, the age of the wood may be such that
>even if it was harvested locally that it may have been harvested and
>processed prior to the Chernobyl event.  If she has access to someone
>at a facility with MCA capabilities, it would be a simple matter to
>take a sample and prepare it for gamma spectroscopy to reassure her
>that there isn't a problem.  It would also be possible to survey
>the wood materials by direct scan or with a micro-R meter to demonstrate
>that there is nothing to be concerned with.
>
>Best regards
>--
>Judd M. Sills, CHP           |   Office: (619)455-2049
>General Atomics, Room 01-166C|      Fax: (619)455-3181
>3550 General Atomics Court   |   E-Mail:  sillsj@gat.com
>San Diego, CA  92121         |

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

In 1991 we have analyzed the cross sections of the deciduous trees from the
area closed to the Unit 4 (3-5 km radius). The most of the conifers, in
that radius have died from the accumulative dose effect.
The 1986 and 1989-1990 growth rings had damaged cellular structure.(Natural
dosimeters)
1986 from the external doses.
1989-1990 from the internal uptake thru the roots.
You my try to look at the cellular structure of the wood as well as do the
spectroscopy.
We performed the gamma spectroscopy of course the was Cs-137 and Cs-134,
10/1 ratio at 1991.
The activity levels I honestly do not remember ( it was a side project ).
I don't think that in your case you will see any detectable levels in the
wood materials. This wood  probably came not from the 30 km restricted zone
( it is forbidden to harvest trees for this purpose)
I had my whole body gamma count in 1994 and nothing from Chernobyl's items
were observed although the radionuclides have different biological
half-lives in trees than in humans...

best regards
Emil Kerrembaev.
National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory.
kerrembaev@nscl.msu.edu