Re: Dose Correlation

[LIPTONW@dteenergy.com]

Although interesting, this is a misleading analogy.  A classic Health 
Physics-101 problem is to calculate the rise in body temperature from a
lethal 
radiation dose: 
 
assume:  1000 rads, body is 100% water 
 
1000 rads*(100 erg/g-rad)*(1 joule/1 E7 ergs)*(1 cal/4.19 joule) = 2.4 E-3 
deg. C 
 
Thus, a lethal dose raises body temperature approximately 2.4 E-3 deg. C. 
If 
radiation damage were due to energy deposition, how could such a small
amount 
of energy be lethal?  Clearly the radiation damage mechanism is completely 
different. 
 
The opinions expressed are strictly mine. 
It's not about dose, it's about trust. 
 
Bill Lipton 
dteenergy.com 
 
You wrote: 
 
>In an older issue of RSO magazine, I found an article describing ways in 
>which to present and increase the public's understanding of radiation 
>topics. The author mentions a comparison to 5 rems of whole body dose as 
>equivalent to the amount of energy required to light a 4 watt night light 
>for 1 second. 
 
>I find this an interesting analogy, but in what way might this be verified? 
 
>James Kane 
>Office of Radiological Control 
>Southern Illinois University 
>School of Medicine 
>jkane@siumed.edu 
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