Fixing the banana
Fixing the banana
If dietary intake of K-40 is that detrimental to human life, let’s reduce it. Potassium (K), which is essential to life, occurs naturally in three weights: 39 (93.3%), 40 (0.0117%), and 41(6.7%). K-39 and K-41 are completely safe. K-40 is a radioactive isotope, with a 1.250 Billion Year half-life; which emits Beta particles and Gamma rays. http://www.ead.anl.gov/pub/doc/potassium.pdf
K-40 is associated with cell damage caused by the ionizing radiation that results from radioactive decay, with the general potential for subsequent cancer induction. The nuclear industry hides behind K-40 to justify environmental mahem and mass murder.
Perhaps, a better approach is to reduce the K-40 in the human diet. While biological processes do not differentiate between K-39, K-40 and K-41; industrial processes do. Isotope separation is a simple and relatively inexpensive chemical process when compared to cancer and death.
So, for example, the American Thyroid Association, USDA and EPA could push for reduced metabolic K-40 in pre-natal and children’s vitamins and an increase over the RDA of 150% to double. This simple expedient would reduce the K-40 biological content in babies by more than half, with no change in diet. The health initiative could be expanded to include all vitamins and then crop fertilizers. It will be relatively simple to remove more than 80% of K-40 from human tissue, within 10 years.
Bill Duff
Any new updates?
The factors limiting the feasibility of large scale potassium isotope seperation seem to be primarily cost based. I'm sure the first microprocessor was pretty expensive too, but now we all have one or more attached to us at all times.
I'm not personally concerned about the nuclear industry and would gladly use a breeder reactor to supply the massive energy needs required for building a K-40 depleted ecosystem. Can someone reiterate the non cost based challenges to this plan? Have there been anything other than obscure Soviet studies in background radiation elimination?
It's true we evolved under constant 'background' radiation exposure, but it may be that same radiation that severely curtails our lifespan. Anyone worried about losing the ability to mutate can certainly eat their fill of K-40 if they choose to (this process would certainly yield quite a bit extra). Telomere shortening is not constant and could be a factor of how damaged the copied DNA is during cell division. Reducing that damage could allow cells to undergo more divisions before apoptosis or mutation.
Patrick Martell
Augsburg College
Minneapolis
Cheaper than Cancer
Cheaper than Cancer
Status Update: No progress, and no realistic hope for progress.
“While biological processes do not differentiate between K-39, K-40 and K-41; industrial processes do. Isotope separation is a simple and relatively inexpensive chemical process when compared to cancer and death.”
“So, for example, the American Thyroid Association, USDA and EPA could push for reduced metabolic K-40 in pre-natal and children’s vitamins and an increase over the RDA of 150% to double.” This simple expedient would reduce the K-40 biological content in babies and expectant mothers, (our MOST vulnerable) by more than half, with no change in diet.
The (MIA) USA Strategic (anti-radiation) Drug Stockpile could be restocked with K-39 KI. Thus, overall radionuclide uptake COULD decrease for many nuclear accident downwinders.
Cheaper AND more fun than cancer
Bill Duff
Dear Bill, This is an
Dear Bill,
This is an interesting comment. I have thought about it and researched it a bit also, however there is one correction and some comment I wanted to add. The correction is that it is rather expensive to separate potassium isotopes as the most economical way to do this is by electromagnetic separation, and this costs hundreds of dollars for milligram quantities of potassium K39 and K41.
Second, although most certainly K40 does make at least a small contribution to mutation and thereby cancer rates, it should be noted that life itself arose under these conditions, and trying to alter them after 4 billion years of evolution might have unforeseen biological consequences. There are two experiments, one done with mice in Russia, where the mice lost weight and got very sick feeding them K39 only diet. The other was in Paramecia done in an underground facility to decrease not only K isotope contributions also other background radiations, and this also had some significant biological effects. One could speculate on the hormesis hypotheiss and that our bodies may naturally "need" some amount of background damage to keep the gene repair machinery functioning. I think more research in this area is definitely warranted, but it will not be cheap. One would need to raise animals in K40 free, C14 free, and cosmic radiation free environment deep underground, and even then the best case scenario is decreasing background radiation to between 1-10% since there are plenty of other intrinsic radioactive isotopes to contend with and special consideration when one is working with living organisms (i.e. how to breed them from and feed them with other living organisms raised in the same way; perhaps cyanobacteria/spirulina might work). It is very difficult for physicist to decrease to 1% in nonliving matter.
Tim Parrett, MD
Dose-response
It would be very surprising if life had evolved not only an immunity to natural levels of ionizing radiation but also a way of utilizing the energy thus available. Political correctness asserts, without evidence, that the slightest doses must be harmful, and that the dose-response graph is a diagonal line starting at 0,0. These assumptions are contrary to all experimental findings of biochemistry, pharmacology & toxicology.
I would like to know the thoughts of other scientists on this matter. < david.playfair@gmail.com >
Ebola and Hormesis
Perhaps a dash of Ebola and/or Marburg would be healthful as well.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/ebola-virus/DS00996
http://www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/ebolamarburg/pages/default.aspx
http://www.cfsph.iastate.edu/Factsheets/pdfs/viral_hemorrhagic_fever_fil...
Is it similarly 'PC' to practice and advocate caution wrt Filoviridae virus exposure?
Are you 'volunteering' for some casually conducted medical experiments? Fukushima and Chernobyl real estate and foods are available cheap. Perhaps you should take advantage of the bargains and demonstrate the depth of your convictions. ... We are waiting.
And we shall continue to advocate and practice ALARA, notwithstanding your presumptions.
As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA)
Life Itself
ALARA
Human life endured many natural hazards; such as the presence of Rabies, Antrhax, Typhus, Typhoid, Polio. We are the better for overcoming and limiting these hazards. Reduction of high energy radionuclide exposure (ALARA) will similarly be a benefit to human health.
Some degree of UV (light) exposure is REQUIRED for immune system development and vitamin D production. Dietary Radionuclide uptake is unlikely to provide health benefits, except for a very few medical treatments.
ALARA
Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory
The nuclear reactor industry has snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. The objective nuclear hazards caused me to be a 'tepid' supporter of nuclear power generation. The 'response' of the global nuclear reactor industry and their captive governments, to the Fukushima nuclear incidents, has cancelled that support.
The moral hazard of the nuclear power generation industry and their advocates has become all too evident. Their disingenuous 'defenses', lack of candor and the evident exacerbation of the base line health and environmental hazards has removed me from their camp.
I can no longer claim to be, even a ‘tepid supporter’ for continued nuclear power generation. I do not support new facilities, upgrades or continued operation of existing facilities. The tactics and strategies of the industries and governments have snuffed their previous support base. This is not a euphemism for outright opposition. It is what it is, a cessation of support and/or trust. Good luck with the strident opposition. They have not made their case, but the industry has.
Bill Duff
Mass Death is not an acceptable plan
The nuclear power industry and their political operatives in government and the press have:
1) Concealed the vast Fukushima radionuclide storm and the associated imminent dangers
2) Concealed the immense radionuclide contamination levels of the NW Pacific
3) Prevented a proper evacuation, and public health response on Honshu Island Japan
4) Dismantled the national anti-radiation drug stockpile,
5) Concealed food contamination results for NW Pacific tuna, salmon and shellfish, and
6) Allowed unlabeled radionuclide laced tea, rice and soy sauce from Honshu Island Japan, into the USA food supply.
Long-standing, evidence based, radiation safety precautions have been concealed and/or abandoned. These death squads are now dismantling the evacuation safety protocols for future USA nuclear disasters. Both political parties are willing participants in this ghoulish crime against humanity. A mass cancer die off is not an acceptable national response to nuclear containment failure. Such industries, and their captive governments, do not merit … continuation
In My Humble Opinion
BED
*
Banana Equivalent Dose
Dr. Chivers,
Apparently our little chat about bananas and airplane rides has gone viral. (Not my doing, by the way.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana_equivalent_dose
A banana equivalent dose is a whimsical unit of radiation exposure, informally defined as the additional dose a person will absorb from eating one banana. It may be sometimes abbreviated as BED.
The validity of the banana equivalent dose concept has been challenged. Critics, including the EPA,[9] pointed out that the amount of potassium (and therefore of 40K) in the human body is fairly constant because of homeostasis,[10] so that any excess absorbed from food is quickly compensated by the elimination of an equal amount.[1][11]
These amounts may be compared to the exposure due to the normal potassium content of the human body, 2.5 g per kg,[12] or 175 grams in a 70 kg adult. This potassium will naturally generate 175 g × 31 Bq/g ? 5400 Bq of radiation, through the person's lifetime.
This page was last modified on 25 September 2011 at 22:24.
Nice idea
Looks like I'm not the first to have this idea to 'fix' potassium!
Dr Chivers really knows his stuff... The theory of isotopic separation is simple, but so impractical that it'll remain a fantasy to all but eccentric billionaire wannabe Peter Pans, and they would have to recycle their own poo.
Supposing it could be done en masse, what could be done with the 'waste' K40?
We should be thankful to K40 and C14 for the mutations they caused in our ancestors to allow us to be what we are today.
On the bright side, bananas will be half as radioactive in 1.25 billion years from now... :)
Hormesis
Perhaps Ann Coulter and the other Hormesis advocates will prefer concentrated K-40 in their foods.
The high energy gamma from k-40, might be useful for food irradiation and/or other such bio-sterilization applications.
Non-electrical fluorescent lights could be illuminated with gamma.
I suppose there are several other applications for K-40, besides the natural tissue damage associated with the emissions.
Steady state, Solid state
So many obvious and some clever aspects of radioactive decay capture yield electrical current in a unperturbed, steady state and or solid state environment that we must assume the only reason we have filthy reactor technology is to feed, justify and hide weapon technology.
While hind sight is 20/20 it is safe to say we have this technology for bombs because the real potential for an opportunity to truly devise and implement an early source of 'energy to cheep to meter' was squandered by fearful men.
To bad. Had clean and real opportunities been pursued instead we would now have a happier and mostly peaceful world. We would currently refining an awesome standard of living and quality of life instead of living on the edge of the economic and environmental abyss watching our unsustainable ways push us over the edge.
Thought for the day: If gravity is nothing more than quantum information what countervalent state would allow the suspension of gravity ?
WRONG!
So many obvious and some clever aspects of radioactive decay capture yield electrical current in a unperturbed, steady state and or solid state environment that we must assume the only reason we have filthy reactor technology is to feed, justify and hide weapon technology.
===================================
Sorry but NONE of the fissile material in US nuclear weapons came from the commercial power reactors. The US built special "production reactors" at Hanford in Washington and Savannah River in South Carolina. ALL the fissile material in US weapons comes from the reactors at those two sites.
The US stockpile of nuclear weapons peaked in the Kennedy Administration, and various arms control treaties have successively lowered the number of weapons in the US stockpile. As weapons were retired and disassembled, and the USA wasn't buildinig any more, there has been no need for new fissile material for decades now. The USA stopped producing fissile material for weapons decades ago, and the reactors at both Hanford and Savannah River have long been shut down.
Nuclear power reactors are NOT catalysts for nuclear weapons. EVERY current nuclear weapon state had a nuclear weapons development program BEFORE they had any power reactors. The USA is typical. The USA got nuclear weapons in 1945. The first nuclear power reactor in the USA was in 1957.
What comes first frames and defines the subsequent
You are correct in the point you make. You did however miss the point I made.
In creating the tech for bombs FIRST and then SELLING 'atoms for peace', shoehorning energy production into the filthy cycle of mining, refining, fissioning and waste stream for bomb production the 'two sides of a coin' was established to frame a 'positive' face of the hideous technology.
It was done, they did what they did, in fear, in greed, in ignorance.
The root, stem and flower are the same. This intentional ploy, this play is designed to allay public disgust in the bomb business. There is ample and well documented history that illustrates this and much more.
Honest people who have any knowledge of this agree there is much that needs to be addressed.
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110405122340.htm
We are gaining perspective. Nuclear power has moved from the savior of America's energy future to its demon , says historian Patrick McCray.
www.miller-mccune.com/.../nuclear-powers-history-in-the-us-miracle-to-de...
A local story.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Robert_Oppenheimer
And...
www.slate.com/.../life/.../the_triumph_of_hacker_culture.single.html
and so very much more...
Namaste
Fire Code Enforcement
.
Fire Code Enforcement at Nuclear Reactors:
“The bottom line is that licensees have had years to identify fire protection deficiencies, and the commission must close this very long chapter of not enforcing all fire protection violations”. “But the continued willingness to tie inspectors’ hands by limiting the tools they have available to ensure we meet our mission of protecting public health and safety, is more than disappointing—it is unacceptable.”
The interested reader may locate the ‘controversial’, (or is it the hidden) fire code statement of NRC Chairman Gregory B. Jaczko at:
http://www.propublica.org/documents/item/89685-propublica-interview-with...
http://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/89685/propublica-interview-with-nr...
"My preferred approach is that you make NFPA 805 a mandatory rule, and all plants would have to comply with it."
industry-hit-piece
Dr. Chiver,
The ‘industry-hit-piece’ you reference criticizes NRC Chairman Jaczko for evacuating US citizens for a 50 mile radius of the nuclear disaster. The decisions also entailed an evacuation of US military dependents from Japan.
Fukushima Acute Radiation Syndrome (ARS) patients are being diagnosed up to 60 miles from the three (3) failed GE MarK-1 reactor containment failures. The present radiation maps and internal dosage tests are looking quite grim for public health in the region, following the extabecquerel nuclear fallout and nuclear washout levels. Schools, farms, produce, water supplies, groundwater, meat, dairy and every other public health indicator point to a long-term nuclear wasteland.
By my lights, those evacuations appear to have been well considered.
http://theenergycollective.com/rodadams/59379/nrc-professional-staff-bri...
"Very Good News” Fukushima Unit 4 Pool Never “COMPLETELY” Dry
Industry-Hit-Piece continues …
Fire Code Enforcement
Dr. Chiver,
Perhaps another reason the nuclear industry is unhappy with NRC Chairman Gregory B. Jaczko is his proposal to enforce the national fire safety code, in nuclear plants.
Also … Perhaps General Electric failed to purchase sufficient local advertizing in Anchorage, Boise and Syracuse; to spike this story. Certainly, I have been unable to locate this in the NYTimes, Washington Post, Fox News or NPR.
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2011/06/nuclear_regulatory_commis...
http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/nuclear-regulatory-commission-chief-bla...
http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/nuclear-regulatory-commission-chie...
Not enforcing fire code violations is "unacceptable."
Nuclear Regulatory Commission chief blames inspectors for not enforcing fire code
John Sullivan | ProPublica | Jun 15, 2011
In a forceful critique of his agency’s approach toward fire safety, the chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission declared that the policy of not enforcing most fire code violations at dozens of nuclear plants is “unacceptable” and has tied the hands of NRC inspectors. The written comments by NRC Chairman Gregory B. Jaczko, released last week, were made as the commission voted in late May to continue a policy of citing only the most serious fire violations at 44 of the nation’s 101 reactors that are in the process of updating fire plans, and to address old hazards.
Fire is among the most serious risks to nuclear reactors, according to NRC experts. Fires can represent as much as 50 percent of a plant’s “core damage frequency”—the likelihood of an accident that affected a reactor’s radioactive fuel. The NRC should have been better prepared to review the nuclear companies’ fire plans. Instead, he said the agency had let the process drag on too long.
“The bottom line is that licensees have had years to identify fire protection deficiencies, and the commission must close this very long chapter of not enforcing all fire protection violations”. “But the continued willingness to tie inspectors’ hands by limiting the tools they have available to ensure we meet our mission of protecting public health and safety, is more than disappointing—it is unacceptable.”
Fire and Flood
-
By my lights, recent NRC amendments to Nuclear Power Plant fire and flood protection requirements, appear to be well considered.
Perhaps the US nuclear industry is still angry with NRC and Chairman Jaczko, with regards to the recently mandated flood protection requirements. Omaha Public Power, operator of the Fort Calhoun nuclear power plant on the Missouri River fought furiously against the flood and fire code requirements. Oh by the way, the flooding and fires at the Fort Calhoun nuclear power plant have been quite challenging this year.
Lately, it has become necessary to get Omaha Nebraska news from China newspapers. Odd, that! Some might leap to the conclusion that there has been something of a news blackout.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/video/2011-07/05/c_13965568.htm
U.S. Fort Calhoun nuclear plant flooded
Video - English.news.cn 2011-07-05 09:18:09
BEIJING, July 5 (Xinhuanet) -- The Fort Calhoun plant north of Omaha in the US state of Nebraska has been surrounded by flood water from the Missouri River for over ten days.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/26/fort-calhoun-flooding-nuclear-p...
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission says the 2,000-foot berm at the Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station collapsed about 1:30 a.m. Sunday.
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2011/06/fire-and-flood-waters-th...
This morning, two separate United States nuclear facilities are threatened by fire and flood.
http://www.propublica.org/article/electrical-fire-knocks-out-spent-fuel-...
A fire in an electrical switch room on Tuesday briefly knocked out cooling for a pool holding spent nuclear fuel at the Fort Calhoun nuclear plant outside Omaha, Neb., plant officials said.
Sound Nuclear Policy
.
The NRC and the DOD prudently provided for the evacuation of US military dependents from Japan. The course reversal of the USS Ronald Reagan and redeployment of the 7th fleet were also well advised. The 50 mile evacuation radius recommendation for US citizens has proven to be prudent, and a 200 mile evacuation radius would not have been excessive.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/special-reports/japans-earthquake-damag...
The reader should not conclude from these observations that I am enthralled by the NRC and/or Chairman Jaczko. Nor do these statements reflect an opposition in principle with respect to: nuclear power, private property, contracts or the rule of law. Quite the contrary, I rise in defense of constitutional governance and sound public policy. To these ends, the attacks are specific in nature.
1) The long-term NRC relicensure of (design defective, corroded, failure-prone, fire-hazard) GE Mark-1 nuclear power plants is ill-advised.
2) MOX upratings, particularly for GE Mark-1 and GE Mark-2 power plants are imprudent.
3) Five year relicensures, each with a 20% power rating reduction, would represent a sound public policy.
4) Significant nuclear power plant site improvement requirements are warranted.
5) Crystalline geologic long-term nuclear waste storage, within the continental USA is warranted.
6) International criminal prosecutions of TEPCO, GE, Toshiba, Hitachi, Siemens, Areva et al and their personnel are warranted.
7) Thereafter, the approval of new contruction nuclear power plants, would represent sound public policy.
8) The present state of preparation, for nuclear disasters within this nation, is non-existent.
9) The US Fukushima disaster response, if one dare call it that, has been worse than nothing, indeed counterproductive in all respects.
Money
Correction to item # 7
As long as life has value and we live in a world denominated in a unit or symbol of exchange fission as a civilian power source is dead.
When ALL costs are factored in civilian fission power sourcing is dead. Just ask the banks, insurance companies OR the people possibly effected by possible fallout to find out how dead.
Time to move on to diversified, locally produced power tied to a networked superconductor grid.
Fiber optics are for fixed location communication. Superconductor grids are for efficient and flexible power grids. Let's jump past lame 'smart' meters.
CCLC Mandates
.
The nuclear reactor fuel conversion from Uranium Oxide (UOX) to Mixed Oxide (MOX) containing 7% weapons grade plutonium cannot pass even a cursory smell test! MOX doubles the reactor thermodynamic and mechanical stresses and doubles the health consequences of a reactor containment failure. This four-fold danger increase associated with 7% MOX fuel represents a poor engineering tradeoff for the less than 20% increase in electrical power output. A similar generation power gain can be achieved with a retrofit Cascading Closed Loop Cycle (CCLC) system. Plus, there are significant coolant water savings with CCLC.
CCLC is in brief, a second stage (propane-based) heat-exchange and turbine based electrical generation. CCLC uses waste-heat from steam, reactors and smoke-stacks. H2O steam based turbine exhaust is at approximately 850F. The propane-based CCLC drops that exhaust temperature to appximately 350F. CCLC deployment results in additional electrical generation, reduced coolant water use and markedly reduced emissions from conventional carbon combustion plants. CCLC technology has been deliberately suppressed by the aforementioned ongoing criminal enterprises of TEPCO, GE, Toshiba, Hitachi, Siemens, Areva et al.
Therefore, federal mandates requiring CCLC, for ALL thermal electrical power plants would represent sound public policy.
FALSE!!
The nuclear reactor fuel conversion from Uranium Oxide (UOX) to Mixed Oxide (MOX) containing 7% weapons grade plutonium cannot pass even a cursory smell test! MOX doubles the reactor thermodynamic and mechanical stresses and doubles the health consequences of a reactor containment failure.
==================================================
First, MOX is NOT made with "weapon grade plutonium"; it is made with "reactor grade plutonium". "Weapons grade plutonium" comes from special production reactors whose design and operation are optimized to control the isotopic mix of the Plutonium isotopes to be what the weapons scientists demand.
"Reactor grade" plutonium is plutonium in the spent fuel of power reactors. It is THAT plutonium that is recycled as MOX.
Plutonium in the core DOES NOT increase thermodynamic nor mechanical stresses. It works just like Uranium. In fact, even if you don't put ANY MOX in a reactor core, the reactor produces and BURNS plutonium in situ.
In fact, even if you don't put ANY plutonium into the reactor, about 40% of the energy you derive from your pure uranium fuel comes from plutonium that was created and burned in situ.
Either way, the reactor operates at the SAME temperatures, SAME coolant flow rates, and thermodynamic and mechanical stresses are the SAME.
Liar's Poker
:(
Oh, there IS that ~16% extra electrial power output from the MOX fueled reactor 'up-rates'. But in the above writer's universe, that must be a miracle or a free bonus.
In that physical earth world, EXTRA power comes from higher Temperature, Pressure and/or fluid flow throughput (velocity).
That is why the conversion to MOX fuel is called an 'up-rate'.
Any single increase or combination of the above, INCREASES mechanical and/or thermodynamic stresses.
Sometimes, this webpage reminds me of a children's game of 'liars poker'.
"Acute Radiation Syndrome
"Acute Radiation Syndrome (ARS) patients are being diagnosed up to 60 miles from the three (3) failed GE MarK-1 reactor containment failures"
False
Source for slow readers
:(
A source for slow readers
Slow readers such as Anonymous-9999, may prefer to HEAR about ARS in Japanese children, than to read the actual story.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIHHGc-8ID4
:(
I prefer to read myself than
I prefer to read myself than to listen to a retard reading an article I already read, an article which talks about two (2) kids having nosebleeds in Koriyama, not Acute Radiation Poisoning.
http://ex-skf.blogspot.com/2011/06/radiation-in-japan-nosebleed-diarrhea...
from your link: "Tokyo
from your link:
"Tokyo Shinbun (paper edition only, 6/16/2011) reports that many children in Koriyama City in Fukushima Prefecture, 50 kilometers from Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant, are suffering inexplicable nosebleed, diarrhea, and lack of energy since the nuke plant accident."
Where are you getting 2 from?
That is what the blogger
That is what the blogger wrote. The translation of the article itself, article published in Tokyo Shinbun, only mentions two (2) kids with nosebleeds, it doesn't mention diarrhea or lack of energy anywhere outside the headline.
Diarrhea, Nosebleed & Malaise
The Youtube girl reads with better comprehension and retention than the scornful Anonymous-999. However, other readers may also wish to review the written materials.
Signs and Symptoms of ARS - if it quacks like a duck, looks like a duc, swims like a duck and walks like a duck.
Diarrhea, Nosebleed & General Malaise are signs and symptoms of ARS. If these children live long enough, they can look forward to a high incidence level of cancer and other radiation related conditions.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/06/16/985938/-eSci:-Unsafe-Radiation-...
Tokyo Shinbun (paper edition only, 6/16/2011) reports that many children in Koriyama City in Fukushima Prefecture, 50 kilometers from Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant, are suffering inexplicable nosebleed, diarrhea, and lack of energy since the nuke plant accident.
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20110622p2g00m0dm022000c.html
Science Magazine reports that Japanese scientists have become so concerned about the health of their children that they have initiated their own radiation monitoring program and made their own maps. The results are shocking.
Parents in Tokyo's Koto Ward enlisted the help of Tomoya Yamauchi, a radiation physicist at Kobe University, to measure radiation in their neighborhood. Local government officials later joined the act, ordering radiation checks of schoolyards and other public places and posting the results on their Web sites. An anonymous volunteer recently plotted the available 6300 data points on a map. And Yukio Hayakawa, a volcanologist at Gunma University, turned that plot into a radiation contour map.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/mrJJ/japan-earthquake-2011-governme...
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/features/archive/news/2011/06/20110616p2g00m0fe10...
An AP reporter overheard?
Dr. Chiver,
Your quote of this ‘Industry-Hit-Piece’ is an ‘interesting’ selection for ‘engineering documentation’ and a ‘search for truth’.
Executive Summary:
An AP reporter heard the EDO state that the pool never went COMPLETELY dry…
http://theenergycollective.com/rodadams/59379/nrc-professional-staff-bri...
“An Associated Press reporter who watched the brief heard the Executive Director of Operations state that recently released video and water samples indicate that the spent fuel pool at Unit 4 never went completely dry despite all previous words to the contrary. He stated that this contradicted previously released statements. The reporter, who has obviously been following the story or at least doing up to date research put the restrained language of the technical staff into perspective. He reminded readers of the context and the history that made the statement more interesting that it might appear to anyone who has not been paying much attention.”
Water level low and of
Water level low and of Concern
Dr. Chiver,
“The Japanese themselves have indicated that the level of water in that pond is low and is of concern.”
Please find below the URL to the March 17th press briefing, with regard to the still tilting and and dangerously teetering Reactor-4 Spent Fuel Pool, in a high seismic zone; which was at the time, also low on water and boiling hot.
The 50 mile evacuation of US citizens and the military dependent evacuation were well considered. These prudent evacuatitons embarrass the Japanese government and the nuclear industry. The slow motion Japanese evacuations were ‘too little and too late’.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/03/17/press-briefing-pre...
Home • Briefing Room • Press Briefings
The White House - Office of the Press Secretary - For Immediate Release March 17, 2011
Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney, Chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Greg Jaczko and Deputy Secretary of Energy Dan Poneman, 3/17/2011
James S. Brady Press Briefing Room 12:58 P.M. EDT
DEPUTY SECRETARY PONEMAN: Those are two different things. Just to be clear, what we sent out were these pods, and these pods measure deposition of radioactive materials on the ground. And so what our -- what I said was that our preliminary indications -- because the data is being analyzed, it’s being shared with the Japanese so they can analyze it, too -- suggest that the prudential measure that the chairman recommended in terms of the 50-mile radius for evacuation is consistent with what we’re finding. It’s not related to --
Q So you don’t have evidence yet of whether this pool -- because he had testified yesterday that you would fear that there was no more water in this fourth -- in the spent fuel pond. Is that correct?
DEPUTY SECRETARY PONEMAN: If I could just say -- I think I can answer the question. The Japanese themselves have indicated that the level of water in that pond is low and is of concern. And there have been -- we certainly saw the chairman’s testimony yesterday, and we’re getting whatever data we can on the situation at that pool. It doesn’t change what we -- what is important, and that’s the Japanese, as they have themselves indicated, need to get more cooling water into that pool. So anything that can be done in that direction, whether it’s from water cannons or water drops, that’s going to be something they’re focused on, and of course, we would do whatever we could to help them.
Q And picking up on Chuck’s question, a Japanese official today said he did not know if that cooling pool has been emptied. Is it still your assessment that that cooling pond with the spent fuel rods is now empty?
CHAIRMAN JACZKO: Well, everything -- when we made the determination the other day, everything indicated that that was the case. And I think as has been said, there’s a lot of conflicting information around this. But the bottom line is, is that there clearly appears to be a challenge keeping that spent fuel filled with sufficient water. So it is a very dynamic situation. And again, our efforts are really focused here on helping the Japanese deal with what is a very tragic and difficult situation, and we’ll continue to provide recommendations and expertise where we can to help.
Q Will the NRC release the data to the public that it’s using?
CHAIRMAN JACZKO: We did release the data.
- By my lights, recent NRC
-
By my lights, recent NRC amendments to Nuclear Power Plant fire and flood protection requirements, appear to be well considered.
Perhaps the US nuclear industry is still angry with NRC and Chairman Jaczko, with regards to the recently mandated flood protection requirements. Omaha Public Power, operator of the Fort Calhoun nuclear power plant on the Missouri River fought furiously against the flood and fire code requirements. Oh by the way, the flooding and fires at the Fort Calhoun nuclear power plant have been quite challenging this year.
Lately, it has become necessary to get Omaha Nebraska news from China newspapers. Odd, that! Some might leap to the conclusion that there has been something of a news blackout.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/video/2011-07/05/c_13965568.htm
U.S. Fort Calhoun nuclear plant flooded
Video - English.news.cn 2011-07-05 09:18:09
BEIJING, July 5 (Xinhuanet) -- The Fort Calhoun plant north of Omaha in the US state of Nebraska has been surrounded by flood water from the Missouri River for over ten days.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/26/fort-calhoun-flooding-nuclear-p...
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission says the 2,000-foot berm at the Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station collapsed about 1:30 a.m. Sunday.
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2011/06/fire-and-flood-waters-th...
This morning, two separate United States nuclear facilities are threatened by fire and flood.
http://www.propublica.org/article/electrical-fire-knocks-out-spent-fuel-...
http://www.iqinteligencja.pl/
A fire in an electrical switch room on Tuesday briefly knocked out cooling for a pool holding spent nuclear fuel at the Fort Calhoun nuclear plant outside Omaha, Neb., plant officials said.
um, you do realize all those
um, you do realize all those links are from July of last year.
There is no mention of Fort Calhoun flooding in current US media because there is no flooding at Fort Calhoun currently.
The dates are included
Odd question,
In that the dates are included
Very odd indeed.
Impractical and pointless
Potassium is one of the most abundant elements on earth, making up an estimated 1.5% of the earth's crust and 0.4 g/liter of ocean water. Potassium-40 makes up 0.0117% of all potassium.
We get potassium from our food and our water. In order to eliminate potassium-40 from our bodies, we would have to consume food and water with reduced abundances of potassium-40 relative to the other isotopes (K-39 and K-41). Isotopic enrichment or depletion is a very tricky engineering problem and cannot practically be done on the sheer scale needed to remove K-40 from our food supply.
For example, K-40 would have to be removed from all soil used to grow crops, lest the crops become "contaminated" with K-40. In only one acre of soil, down to 3 feet, there are roughly 110,000 kilograms of potassium, of which 13 kilograms is K-40. To remove K-40 from even one acre of agricultural land would require sorting through all of the 110,000 kilograms of potassium. This is unfeasible, and even if we could do it, K-40 would eventually find its way back in from other soil and water where we have not removed the isotope.
(By the way, since K-40 has a specific activity of 260,000 Becquerels/gram, the 13 kilograms we extracted will be highly radioactive: 3.4 GBq or 90 milliCuries.)
It is estimated that K-40 gives us about 7% of our background radiation dose through both internal and external exposure (0.17 mSv out of 2.4 mSv total; see the UNSCEAR 2000 Report, Annex B, Table 31). Even so, the dose from K-40 is still very small. Large variations in the K-40 background, as well as the U-238 and Th-232 backgrounds, have never been linked to significant increases in cancer rate.
As a point of comparison, radon gas and its decay products give us about 50% of our background dose. Compared to K-40, the dose from radon is both much larger and much easier to mitigate through proper ventilation of homes.
Mark [BRAWM Team Member]
Not so hopeless.
Thanks for the comment Mark,
Not so hopeless.
However, it is NOT necessary to remove potassium from soil to reduce it's uptake level into our food chain.
First, a dietary maintenance supplement of 200 micrograms of K-39, which is about double the minimum RDA but far below the maximum RDA for KI, would maintain a lower level of K-40 in our bodies. A short term, larger dose of K-39, would harmlessly clear existing K-40 by excretion.
Livestock feed supplements of K-39 will allow their kidneys to randomly excrete K-40 to insignificant levels.
Hydroponic crops will immediately drop to virtually zero K-40 with K-39 fertilizer.
Active K-39, added to clay soils (strongly bound K) and potassium poor soils, will quickly show dramatic decreases in K-40 levels.
Plus once we dramatically reduce K-40 from the human diet, the Banana Equivalent Radiation Dose (BERD) will be toast.
External exposure from K-40 is even larger than internal
I just wanted to point out that I only listed the average internal exposure from K-40 (0.17 mSv). Looking once again at UNSCEAR 2000 Report, Annex B, Table 31, the average external terrestrial radiation dose (a large majority of which is due to K-40) is 0.07 mSv (outdoors) plus 0.41 mSv (indoors). That is a total of 0.48 mSv, but the actual number will depend on the "composition of soil and building materials." This is about 20% of our yearly exposure, much greater than the 7% from internal K-40 exposure.
Mark [BRAWM Team Member]
Revision:
Revision:
Please excuse the microgram reference which relates to the RDA of Iodine in KI, rather than potassium.
K-39 enriched potassium based salt substitutes on the order of metabolic need are on the order of grams per day. No particular maximum potassium limit has been set, due to the ease of excretion.
Recent Reading
Mark,
Perhaps your reading material is a bit too recent.
Efficiency of the Electrolytic Separation of Potassium Isotopes
http://jcp.aip.org/resource/1/jcpsa6/v14/i7/p401_s1?isAuthorized=no
Dwight A. Hutchison, Georgia School of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia
Journal of Chemical Physics / Volume 14 / Issue 7 401 (1946); doi:10.1063/1.1724161
SEPARATION OF POTASSIUM ISOTOPES IN VALONIA AND NITELLA
http://jgp.rupress.org/content/23/6/741.abstract
A. G. Jacques
JGP Home> 1940 Archive > July > Jacques 23 (6): 741
Published July 20, 1940 // JGP vol. 23 no. 6 741-742
The Rockefeller University Press, doi: 10.1085/jgp.23.6.741
K-40/free terrariums
Radiation-shielded K-40/free terrariums would be an interesting medium-term experiment to hypothetically REFUTE the Hormesis advocate liars/fools/killers, such as Ann Coulter. This would require a RFP issued by Japan, USA, Russia and/or other interested governments and/or NGOs. Certainly UV light is required for Vitamin D production and immune system maturation. The rest, I posit, are not healthful. Some, such as cosmic radiation cannot be (practically) eliminated.
http://www.ead.anl.gov/pub/doc/potassium.pdf
What Is the Primary Health Effect?
Potassium-40 can present both an external and an internal health hazard. The strong gamma radiation associated with the electron-capture decay process (which occurs 11% of the time) makes external exposure to this isotope a concern. While in the body, potassium-40 poses a health hazard from both the beta particles and gamma rays. Potassium-40 behaves the same as ordinary potassium, both in the environment and within the human body – it is an essential element for both. Hence, what is taken in is readily absorbed into the bloodstream and distributed throughout the body, with homeostatic controls regulating how much is retained or cleared. The health hazard of potassium-40 is associated with cell damage caused by the ionizing radiation that results from radioactive decay, with the general potential for subsequent cancer induction.
Radiological Risk Coefficients
This table provides selected risk coefficients for inhalation and ingestion. Maximum values are given for inhalation since no default absorption types were provided, and dietary values were used for ingestion. Risks are for lifetime cancer mortality per unit intake (pCi), averaged over all ages and both genders.
Lifetime Cancer Mortality Risk
Inhalation 2.1 × 10P-10 [pCiP-1]
Ingestion 2.2 × 10P-11 [pCiP-1]
Bill I only read the
Bill I only read the abstract because all I cared to find was the value of alpha. The value they got was 1.005. That is similar to the value for uranium enrichment using the the method of diffusion and is less than what you get from centrifuge. The costs for enrichment are very high. These plants cost well over a billion to build and have enormous electricity bills. The danger from K-40 is minuscule considering we evolved with it over the years.
Separating Isotopes in QUANTITY
“In fact it is now generally believed that the isotopes of any element can be separated in quantity if the need be great enough to meet the costs.”
Chemical Separation of Stable Isotopes
http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.ns.01.120152.001453
G H Clewett
Annual Review of Nuclear Science
Vol. 1: 293-300 (Volume publication date December 1952)
DOI: 10.1146/annurev.ns.01.120152.001453
A better nuclear future
;)
Perhaps following international criminal prosecution in the Hague for crimes against humanity; the reconstituted nuclear industry, shall choose to beneficially harness the extracted K-40 radioactive isotope.
Perhaps the decriminalized ventures will, in the future, choose to better serve the interests of their stockholders and the public interest.
Reckless endangerment of public health via extabecquerels spewing of radiactive waste scattered across land, air and sea; do not well-serve public policy or private enterprise.
;)
The Hague again???
Perhaps following international criminal prosecution in the Hague for crimes against humanity;
=======================
The antinukes sure like to toss the "The Hague" around with wild abandon.
However, Japan and the nuclear industry had an accident. No international laws were broken.
When an airliner crashes, do we put the airline on trial for murder?
NO - they had an accident. Crimes are intentional acts, not accidents.
Internal Dose from Potassium-40
Internal Dose from Potassium-40
Mark from BRAWM earlier provided the Internal Dose from K-40. This represents over half of our total ingestion radioactive dosage.
http://www.nuc.berkeley.edu/node/4351#comment-9405
http://www.nuc.berkeley.edu/node/4351
UNSCEAR 2000 Report Vol. I, Annex B: Exposures from natural radiation sources:
75. Potassium is more or less uniformly distributed in the body following intake in foods, and its concentration in the body is under homeostatic control. For adults, the body content of potassium is about 0.18%, and for children, about 0.2%. With a natural abundance of 1.17E-4 for K-40, a specific activity of 2.6E8 Bq/kg, and a rounded dose conversion coefficient of 3 microSieverts per year per Bq per kg, the annual equivalent doses in tissues from K-40 in the body are 165 and 185 microSieverts per year for adults and children, respectively. The same values are appropriate for the effective doses, given the more or less uniform distribution of potassium within the body.
Why not?
If metabolic K-40 is all that bad … and the nuclear industry, insists that it is.
There is no need to waste the radioactive K-40. As we move the K-40 from 1 micron to 1 meter away from vital cellular processes, the health hazard will be reduced to a trillionth.
The K-40 could be redirected to non-food chain applications. There are many such applications including: Heat transfer, magnetometers glass, soap, fluorescent lamps, dye, pigment and explosives.
The Japanese have ‘skin in the game’. The gross negligence of TEPCO, General Electric, Hitachi and the Japanese government have created a ticking time bomb of radiation related syndromes, cancer and death.
A simple and inexpensive way to prevent a cancer epidemic is to reduce biologic uptake of K-40.
Why not?
Low (K-40) in KI is a no-brainer
RAD-SAFE labeled foods should sell very well in Japan for the next few (thousand) years.
Reductiton of radioactive isotopes in the human food chain is a good idea for better health.
Prussian Blue is a demonstrated, low cost, safe and effective livestock food additive for removal of Cesium and Strontium from meat and dairy.
Dietary reduction of radioactive potassium (K-40) has been discussed elsewhere. Low K-40 content in suppliments for human and livestock consumption would reduce cancer significantly.
Low K-40, in KI radiation pills is a no-brainer.
Cancer Prevention
An ounce of cancer prevention is worth a pound of cure.
RAD-SAFE Salt and Vitamins
This would be simple, if the potassium K, in the KI were K-39, rather than the naturally occurring mixture of K-39 + K-40 + K-41.
Relatively simple and inexpensive industrial separation techniques could markedly reduce the presence of the radioactive isotope K=40 in humans and in the food chain.
By this mechanism, we can perhaps reduce the impending cancer epidemic in the entire northern hemisphere.
SAFE-RAD iodized salt, vitamins, livestock mineral blocks and fertilizer would apparently lead to a longer, healthier and happier life.
Relatively simple and inexpensive ???
I'm not sure where you get that isotope separation is relatively simple and inexpensive...if that was so, Iraq and Iran would already have nuclear weapons. The best way to separate potassium isotopes is through electromagnetic separation (Calutron - named because it was invented by Lawrence here at UC Berkeley).
From Calutron Research, the power supply requirements are ~0.8 kW for 20 microamps focused ion current. That is 8.1 nanogram per second potassium. So, a separated gram of material would take 34227 hours (3.9 years) and 27,381 kW-hr of energy. At about 10 cents per kW-hr this would be $2,738 per gram. That is only energy costs, not including operation costs. Realistically, I would put a 3-4x multiplier to that number to ~$8-10k per gram material.
One should ingest 4.7 grams of potassium daily, that is $50k per day...per person...
Scaling up, we would need to produce a gram every 5 hours (not 34227 hrs) for a single person...so we need the equivalent of 6845 of these ion guns per person. Let's assume each of these are ~$30k apiece (actually $32k for the G-2) and we have an economy of scale of 10:1 (that is generous). Then the up front capital cost is $20.5 million per person.
The US has 300 million people, so capital cost would be $6150T, with a yearly budget of $5475T. Considering our total Gross Domestic Product is $14T, I think we would be over extending ourselves.
Not to mention that inhalation and ingestion of radon daughters dominate our natural exposure.