can cesium disperse in a swimming pool?

Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 2011-05-30 10:49

My daughter is about to start her swim team season and I know pools have been discussed here a bit. I remember one BRAWM member's response being that pools are OK.

How are we feeling these days? I guess the one thing I don't get is how does the cesium wash away and disperse in a swimming pool. There's nowhere for it to go and it accumulated initially. If my child is in there several hours a day should I be worried?

BRAWM member opinion? We are in Berkeley too so our levels are what you've been reporting.

Thanks!!

‹ NHK: TEPCO BELIEVES STABILIZING REACTORS IMPOSSIBLE Japan could face overseas lawsuits from nuclear crisis ›

sand filter

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 2011-06-01 21:51.

How about a pool with a sand filter? My kids are literally swimming all summer and I'm concerned too!

Thanks Mark, you are so wonderful for doing this!

Pool should be very safe

Submitted by bandstra on Wed, 2011-06-01 18:05.
First, we can calculate what the concentration in the water should be based on our measurements. Here's the information we need for a conservative estimate:
  • Approximate amount of rainfall in Berkeley since March 17: ≈8 inches
  • Average concentration of Cesium-134 in rainwater: ≈0.3 Bq/L
  • Average concentration of Cesium-137 in rainwater: ≈0.3 Bq/L
  • Depth of swimming pool: ≈4 feet
So the concentration in the water is much smaller than rainwater: ≈0.05 Bq/L for both Cs-134 and Cs-137. Also, the filtration should have an effect. Apparently cesium is efficiently filtered by diatomaceous earth. I found this paper about it:
Natural diatomite process for removal of radioactivity from liquid waste, by Ahmet Erdal Osmanlioglu, 2006 Abstract: Diatomite has a number of unique physical properties and has found diversified industrial utilization. The filtration characteristics are particularly significant in the purification of liquids.... The liquid waste contained three radionuclides (Cs-137, Cs-134 and Co-60). Following the treatment by diatomite, the radioactivity of liquid waste was reduced from the initial 2.60 Bq/ml to less than 0.40 Bq/ml. The results of this study show that most of the radioactivity was removed from the solution by processing with diatomite.
So the levels in the pool would be very low to start with, and filtering would decrease the levels even more. Mark [BRAWM Team Member]

Thank you so much Mark! I

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 2011-06-01 20:21.

Thank you so much Mark! I am not the original poster, but was wondering about the diatomaceous earth filter because we have one. Seeing as my kids spend hours in the pool in summer, this is great news. Thank you for spending time researching this.

why not just stick to indoor

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 2011-05-31 15:12.

why not just stick to indoor pools until you know for sure?

In any case, goggles, a swim cap and a good shower afterward will certainly not hurt.

And what about diatomaceous

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 2011-05-31 11:03.

And what about diatomaceous earth and other filters for filtering isotopes?

Bump....

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 2011-05-31 10:19.

Bump....

I have a pool and I'm

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 2011-05-31 22:49.

I have a pool and I'm wondering the same thing. I would be tempted to drain and refill it if it wasn't so expensive. And what about the filter is Cesium accumulating in the pool filter. I wish someone would answer these questions. I'd like to enjoy my pool when it gets warm enough but even the thought of a little bit of that crap is off-putting.

bump

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 2011-06-01 08:47.

bump