Radiation from a Cross-Country Plane Flight
"...the radiation exposure of a single round trip flight from San Francisco to Washington D.C. (0.05 mSv)."
Keep in mind that mSv is milliSieverts, not microSieverts. That means the round-trip plane flight is 50 microSieverts. The normal background radiation at sea level is about 0.05 microSieverts, so each cross-country plane flight is giving you a dose that is 1000 times the background level. Just so you know.
Also, the Union of Concerned Scientists states that there is no level of radiation that is "safe". That is, there is no threshold below which effects are nonexistent because the does-response relationship is linear all the way down.
Maybe it's time to reconsider flying.
How do we contact those who
How do we contact those who are doing the testing and raise our concern regarding the 'injesting' as opposed to exposure of this radiation??
My gut feeling is this is purposly being ommitted as to no raise a panic. Just as the Japanese gov. did not raise the level to 7 right away, to avoid public panic.
We're screwed.
What if you fly at night?
What if you fly at night?
Do you have any bananas with
Do you have any bananas with you on this night flight?
Was it last night?
Was it last night?
Petkau effect - ingested radiation STAYS in your body
Could an expert with real knowledge please provide some info on the Petkau effect and how the ingestion of radioactive cesium which remains in the body emitting radiation for years can be compared to a plane trip.
I understand the comparison is NOT linear. yes, the radiation ingested from drinking cesium in milk or whatever will be far lower at any given time than compared to an airplane trip, however the ingested particles REMAIN IN YOUR BODY, is a constant source of radiation and over a surprisingly SHORT period of time this low level of constant radation will break down cell structures...
Refer to Petkau study. Is there some reason this is being ignored?
cesium exposure explained by EPA
How do people come in contact with cesium-137?
Everyone is exposed to very small amounts of cesium-137 in soil and water as a result of atmospheric fallout. In the Northern Hemisphere, the average annual dose from exposure to cesium-137 associated with atmospheric fallout is less than 1 mrem; this dose continues to diminish every year as cesium-137 decays.
People may also be exposed from contaminated sites:
Walking on cesium-137 contaminated soil could result in external exposure to gamma radiation. Leaving the contaminated area would prevent additional exposure.
Coming in contact with waste materials at contaminated sites could also result in external exposure to gamma radiation. Leaving the area would also end the exposure.
If cesium-137 contaminated soil becomes air-borne as dust, breathing the dust would result in internal exposure. Because the radiation emitting material is then in the body, leaving the site would not end the exposure.
Drinking cesium-137 contaminated water, would also place the cesium-137 inside the body, where it would expose living tissue to gamma and beta radiation.
People may also unknowingly handle a strong industrial source of cesium-137. For example, certain moisture gauges contain cesium-137 sources.
Petkau effect - just one study?
It seems that your FAQ #11 answer addresses this issue and advises that there is not enough studies / info to assess long term exposure to low doses of radiation within the body.
I'd challenge that by asking why the Petkau study is not suggestive enough to take the view that a non-linear effect (where small doses in constant contact within the body for longer periods do more damage) should not be concluded?
I hope someone familiar with Petkau can advise...
http://doctorapsley.com/Radia
http://doctorapsley.com/RadiationTherapy.aspx
This is the most detailed explanation of the Petkau Effect I have come across so far. The non-linear effect must be considered, Dr. Rapsley describes is as a slow smoldering underground coal fire.
A long term exposure of
A long term exposure of extremely low radiation (i.e., one-ten millionth of a rad per minute) was found to be 100 BILLION times MORE lethal than a short term exposure to exceedingly high level radiation (i.e., 10,000 rads per minute). As it turns out, Petkau discovered that at exceedingly high radiation levels, the abundant free radicals generated in tissues tended to cancel each other out before they could do cellular damage. But at extremely low levels of radiation, these same free radicals - produced in minuscule quantities - remain unchecked. And any steady stream of unchecked free-radicals will efficiently and lethally cleave lipid cellular membranes like a hot knife slicing through butter once they overwhelm and exhaust cellular antioxidant defenses. This dramatically illustrates the non-linear aspects of dose (rads) to lethality. Most scientists specializing in the field of nuclear medicine are unaware of this fact. And most think strictly in terms of genetic damage, while the above presents its lethal affects upon cell membranes and only secondarily to the genetic core.