Re: Potassium Iodide -Reply -Reply -Reply

[Emil <kerremba@pilot.msu.edu>]

Charles Willis wrote:
> 
> Scott,
> 
> NCRP-93 does say that the average dose withing 10 miles of TMI was 8 mrem but
> there is nothing in the NCRP report or anywhere else that I know of to suggest
> that the dose was primarily dose to the thyroid from radioiodine.  In the plethora of
> reports on that accident, there is agreement that the radioiodine release was small
> and that the principal doses were from the noble gasses.....  
> 
> Charlie Willis
> caw@nrc.gov

Charles,
I thought it may be interesting for others too.

It came to mine mind, may be in TMI the reactor was Xenon poisoned?? and
because of that
there was not significant radio iodine release but was significant
release of noble gasses, Xenon one of them.
I have read IAEA report on TMI back in 1988 and I can not recall the
reactor conditions.
The only thing, I can recall exactly that reactor was down and they had
colling circulation problem. If reactor was down then INDEED reactor was
xenon poisoned. 
It seems to me that the noble gasses and radio iodine iodine would have
relatively close release rates. If there were iodine-xenon egulibrium
then doses from radio iodine and noble gasses would be close.
The primer internal expousure uptake will be from inhalation and noble
gasses have
very short biological half life(breath in and out) reather iodine stays
in thyroid much longer. The external exposures will be probably close to
each other(I do not remember the exact gamma and beta spectums for noble
gasses). So with the same concetrations there would be overwhelming
ratio to radio iodine dose vs. to doses from noble gasses. 

If it is so then it was indeed UNNECESARY to administer KI for the
purpose of radiation protection but was only for the reason as you have
indicated in your previous message as psychological/political.
Best regards.
kerremba@pilot.msu.edu
Emil 
 
 It is still so nice to represent your own opinion and not your
 employer's when you do not have one.