5/28/12 More on hot particles via Safecast mailing list

This has been a subject of great interest to us all. Via the Safecast mailing list...

"During the time that I was continuously collecting air samples, I collected at a rate of 1200 liters per hour four 24 hours at 4 to 7 locations around the Pacific. (Hawaii, US west coast, Rocky Mountains, US east coast) Samples were filtered on teflon membrane filters, and "cooled" for 48 hours before measuring. Samples were counted on an alpha/beta counter, radiographed, then tested by electron microscopy with X-ray microanalysis. Particles were found that contained lanthanides, titanium-indium, and even (but rarely) americium.

It was only during the months of March and April 2011 that I had any positive samples for hot particles. These data pretty much followed the US Environmental Protection Agency data for the dates when radioactivity from Japan was measurable.

This is not unexpected, and not surprising that hot particles traveled globally, and were of the size range (3 to 5 microns diameter) that can be inhaled. It was also not permanent. The air has cleared considerably.

Also, while there were temporarily detectable particles in USA air, they were not at levels at all close to what was, (and still is given the right circumstances), in the air in Northern Japan.In the USA, I think people should be much more interested in the activity that might be in some foods such as Japanese seafood, but airborne levels are currently not detectable in the USA.

Would that this was true in Japan.

Marco Kaltofen"

Posted by BC 5/28/12