Re: Re[2]: K-40 concentration in seawater

[Andrew Karam <karam.1@osu.edu>]

>     In Ron Kathren's "Radioactivity in the Environment", pg 41, last 
>     sentence on the page, "Concentrations in seawater are approximately 
>     300 pCi (11 Bq) /m^3."  %^)

This is much too small a value.  There are 1000 liters in 1 cubic meter.
Eisenbud reports the concentration of K in seawater as about 380 ppm.  The
specific activity of K-40 is about 840 pCi of K-40 per gram of K.  This
gives a K-40 activity in seawater of about 0.32 pCi/gm or about 320 pCi/L
(assuming a density of 1, which is a little low), close enough to the value
mentioned by Andy Hull.  

Andrew Karam




Andrew Karam, CHP  (karam.1@osu.edu)
The Ohio State University Office of Radiation Safety
1314 Kinnear Road
Columbus, OH  43212
(614) 292-1284 (phone)
(614) 292-7002 (fax)