RE: estimates of human-human irradiations

["Heinmiller, Bruce" <heinmillerb@aecl.ca>]

Case in point (with regard to my posting of three minutes ago)!

Bruce Heinmiller CHP
heinmillerb@aecl.ca

> ----------
> From: 	M. Woo[SMTP:m-woo@uiuc.edu]
> Reply To: 	radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu
> Sent: 	Wednesday, December 08, 1999 9:44 AM
> To: 	Multiple recipients of list
> Subject: 	Re: estimates of human-human irradiations
> 
> Kimberlee Kearfott wrote:
> 
> > I don't want to start an instoppable thread-- but has anybody
> > computed how much irradiation we get from standing by others, due to
> > our natural concentrations of radionuclides?  Any other similar
> > comparisons?
> 
> Rick Strickert put together an amusing analysis of K-40 exposure that he
> posted to the list back in 1995.  Here is the excerpt from the archives:
> 
> ====cut====
> Recent RADSAFE emails suggest a considerable concern about radiation
> exposure from bananas.  While I limit my banana intake to servings of
> banana (brazil?) nut bread, there is a more serious source of K-40
> radiation poisoning.
> 
> According to UNSCEAR (1988) the annual effective dose equivalent from
> the body's K-40 is an estimated 180 uSv (18 mrem).  Now, in the case
> where two people share the same bed for 8 hrs/day, and assuming a
> geometry factor of 0.16 (this is probably subject to considerable
> variation; I don't want to discuss it), then each person would receive
> an additional annual radiation dose of approximately 10 uSv (1 mrem)
> from the other person's K-40.  This does not take into account any
> backscatter from a slab floor (a NORM problem itself!).
> 
> There are at least 60 million married couples in the U.S. that I will
> assume sleep together (you can supplement the number if you wish).
> This results in a U.S population exposure of at least 1200 PYSv
> (120,000 man-rem per year). (PC hawks - I'm using the dictionary's
> first definition of 'man'.)
> 
> Using 8,000 man-rems per lethal cancer (Wilson and Crouch, Science 236,
> 1987, pp. 267-270), the sleeping together radiation dose equivalent
> (STRDE) results in an estimated average of 15 deaths in the U.S per
> year.                                      ^^^^^^^^^
> 
> However, I don't think a lead-lined teddy will ever become popular.
> ====cut====
> 
> -- 
> Melissa Woo, Health Physicist <mailto:m-woo@uiuc.edu>
> Div. of Environmental Health & Safety
> 101 S. Gregory St., MC-225, Urbana, IL 61801
> ph 217.244.7233 fax 217.244.6594 <http://www.uiuc.edu/ph/www/m-woo/>
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