Volcanoes, ash, and Rn

["Robert Gunter" <rjgunter@icnpharm.com>]

Franz,

Having been in New Zealand while Mt Ruhapehu (sp?) was going off, I would
have to disagree regarding ingestion of Ra.  The air will litterally become
a fog of ash.  You will breathe it and it will find it's way into your
body.  Of course the specific activity will be pretty low.  Think of all
the dirt you ate when you were a kid.

I think it would be interesting to hear about elevated concentrations of Rn
when Mt St. Helens blew.  We always talk about Rn concentrations elevating
during a T inversion as it is sucked out of the ground, how about when the
whole mountain is blown into the air.  Was there a "pulsed" concentration?

>Radium is not harmless, if
>ingested, but I hardly believe that debris from a volcano would be
ingested.


Rob


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Robert J. Gunter         Tel: (714) 545-0100

Sr. Technical Specialist      Tel: (800) 548-5100 Ext. 2414

ICN Biomedicals, Inc.         Fax: (714) 668-3149

Dosimetry Division       Email: rjgunter@icnpharm.com

3300 Hyland Avenue

Costa Mesa, CA  92626


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