Re: Re[2]: Side of a volcano

[Franz Schoenhofer <schoenho@via.at>]

At 16:07 05.08.1998 -0500, you wrote:
>     Since when is 3 million curies of ANY radioisotope "harmless"??? Just 
>     because radon and K-40 occur in the environment, that doesn't make 
>     them "of the harmless kind."
>     
>     Steven D. Rima, CHP
>     Manager, Health Physics and Industrial Hygiene
>     MACTEC-ERS, LLC
>     steven.rima@doegjpo.com
>
Steven,

Sorry, I insist on the expression "harmless" for radon and K-40. Radon is
diluted in the atmosphere very fast and the additional activity
concentration (which counts!) will be extremely low when reaching a living
individual. K-40 will be associated with inactive potassium and as it was
discussed earlier on RADSAFE potassium and therefore also K-40 cannot be
accumulated in the body of healthy subjects. Radium is not harmless, if
ingested, but I hardly believe that debris from a volcano would be ingested.

Franz


Franz Schoenhofer
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Fax.: same number
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e-mail: schoenho@via.at

Office:
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