RE: Bacteria in Nuclear Reactors

[BRZGV@CCMAIL.CECO.COM (Glen Vickers)]

How about 650 degrees F and 2250 PSIG?  Approximate operating parameter of a
pressurized water reactor (PWR)

Sincerely,
Glen Vickers

-----Original Message-----
From:     Ronald Morgan <rgmorgan@lanl.gov> at INTERNET
Sent:     Monday, May 11, 1998 1:57 PM
To:     Multiple recipients of list <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu> at INTERNET
Subject:     Bacteria in Nuclear Reactors

Hi folks,
In the May/June issue of The Planetary Report (a publication for the
members of the Planetary Society, a space-exploration advocacy group which
is not noticeably [so far] an anti-nuc group.  See their web site at
http://www.planetary.org), Christopher Chyba said (in part) "bacteria have
adapted to survive the levels of radiation common in the cooling water of
nuclear reactors."

I'd be a bit surprised to learn that bacteria could survive in the primary
or secondary loops of a power reactor...but there's a bunch of other
possibilities.  Does anyone know anything about bacteria in reactor cooling
water?
Thanx, ron
       **************************************
       Ron Morgan <rgmorgan@lanl.gov>
       Operational Health Physics (ESH-1)
       Los Alamos National Laboratory
       MS E-503, Los Alamos New Mexico, 87545 (USA)
       Phone (505) 665-7843
       Fax   (505) 667-1009
       Voice pager 104-1787

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