Re: Pu Toxicity vs DDT

[Holloway3@aol.com]

In a message dated 1/28/1999 12:03:32 PM Pacific Standard Time,
MLieskovsky@nbpower.com writes:

<< The committed effective doses per ingestion of 1g of Pu isotopes 238-242
 range from 600 to 3 000 000 Sv for an infant.  Others are similar. 
 
 I do not know what kind of assumptions one should use for the committed
 doses because of the acute effects or whatever else, but I for one do
 not want to swallow any of that stuff.  >>

But everyone eats some Pu with food.  I once visited the analytical laboratory
at the University of Utah run by McDonald Wrenn and Naryanah Singh (it is now
closed, I think).  They were doing analysis of Pu by neutron activation on
urine samples.  They determined that an average middle aged person excretes
about 1 million atoms of Pu-239 per day.  The origin is from old fallout from
weapons testing.  For those who are deathly afraid of Pu, as being the "most
deadly substance known", this is something to consider.  It is a good
illustration of the adage that "the poison is in the dose".   There is some
safe level of Pu it seems, and everyone is living proof of that.  

          holloway3@aol.com
************************************************************************
The RADSAFE Frequently Asked Questions list, archives and subscription
information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html