Re: FDA likely to approve meat irradiation-Spokesman

["J. Andrew Tompkins" <JATALBQ@ix.netcom.com>]

Bernard L Cohen wrote:
> 
>         Co-60 has a big advantage over Cs-137 for irradiating things as
> thick as meat because of the higher gamma ray energy which allows deeper
> penetration.
> 
> Bernard L. Cohen
> Physics Dept.
> University of Pittsburgh
> Pittsburgh, PA 15260
> Tel: (412)624-9245
> Fax: (412)624-9163
> e-mail: blc+@pitt.edu
Yes the energy of Co-60 is better for meat irradiation.  However, you
would have to irradiate many kilograms of Co-59 to produce the curie
content of Cs-137 that already exists in storage.