Re: Bacteria in Nuclear Reactors

[Ruth Weiner <rfweine@sandia.gov>]

     1.  We expect anaerobic bacteria to survive in the WIPP .
     2.   A biologist colleague of mine tells me that there is a bacteria 
     genus called "radiodurans" which can survive significant doses.
     
     Clearly only my own opinion
     
     Ruth Weiner
     Sandia National Laboratories
     505-844-4791
     rfweine@sandia.gov


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Bacteria in Nuclear Reactors
Author:  rgmorgan@lanl.gov at hubsmtp
Date:    5/11/98 12:54 PM


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
     
      mailto:rgmorgan@lanl.gov
     
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