Re: Environmental Sr-90 in Urine

["schoenho" <schoenho@via.at>]

Schoenhofer
Habichergasse 31/7
A-1160 Wien
AUSTRIA
Tel./Fax: +43-1-4955308
Mobiltel.: +43-664-3380333
e-mail: schoenho@via.at

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> Von: Eugene H Carbaugh <eh_carbaugh@ccmail.pnl.gov>
> An: Multiple recipients of list <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
> Betreff: Environmental Sr-90 in Urine
> Datum: Montag, 11. August 1997 20:45
> 
>      
>      Has anyone looked at Sr-90 levels in urine that might be
attributable 
>      to worldwide fallout or other such environmental sources?  My
cursory 
>      review of NCRP, ICRP and recent HP issues did not identify any such 
>      levels.  
>      
>      We have noticed a nominal 0.3 dpm (5 mBq) bias in our blank urine  
>      (real urine from unexposed people), compared to our lab which is 
>      reporting a reagent blank value (artifical urine) about an order of 
>      magnitude lower.
>      
>      
>      Thanks,
>      
>      Gene Carbaugh
>      Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
>      eh_carbaugh@pnl.gov

Gene,

It is more than likely that your values are correct, since there is enough
Sr-90 around from the atmospheric nuclear weapons tests of the fifties and
sixties. In Europe the Sr-90 levels in food rose by about 100 % after the
Chernobyl accident, but was back to weapons test levels at the latest two
years later. I will try to find data for you when I return to my lab
tomorrow morning (it is evening now in Europe).  I remember that we have
taken part in an intercomparison exercise, which also comprised "virgin
urine". However you have to keep in mind that contamination levels of Sr-90
in food vary according to the place in the world you look at.

Franz