|
radiation fears - visiting capitol building more hazardous than
camping outside a nuclear plant
"Using United States Federal Aviation Authority
actuarial calculation methods, it is shown that over
1 in 70 Japanese workers will be killed by cancer induced
by radiation during their company health checks in a
nationwide program which subjects them to the equivalent
of over 2000 chest x-rays - more than the average dose
received by survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki
experiments.
“Recently I was asked to take a barium meal esophagram,
also known as a "barium swallow" or gastric
fluoroscopy. I refused after I enquired about the intensity
and dose. After a long delay, and the worrying statement
that the radiologist had to consult a book, I was told
it would be 15 millisieverts. I was told that many Japanese
companies regard gastric fluoroscopy with this, or even
higher doses, as a standard early detection test, which
is repeated annually or biannually.
“This means that Japanese workers will be exposed
to more radiation than the survivors of the Hiroshima
and Nagasaki tests, who received an average dose of
200 millisieverts.
“The single fluoroscopy is equivalent to 150
chest x-rays, and 15 times the yearly maximum exposure
allowed in the United States. It greatly exceeds the
dose received by workers at high level nuclear plants.
It is equal to the exposure received by an astronaut
in space for one month (recognized hazard). But the
energy is delivered to the most vulnerable organs of
the body in just a few minutes.” [Quoted from
ratical.org]
“Sensing the absurdity of the EPA standards,
Dr. Michael Gough and I commissioned radiation experts
to measure radiation levels in the U.S. Capitol building
and compare them with the proposed Yucca Mountain standards.
The Capitol contains a great deal of granite and marble
building materials that naturally emit the same type
of radiation as spent fuel.
“Our experts discovered that radiation dose rates
at the Roger Williams statue, located between the Rotunda
and Senate Chamber, are up to 65 times greater than
what the EPA plans to allow at Yucca Mountain.
“The radiation-dose rate at the Williams statue
also is up to 550 percent higher than the dose rate
received at the fenceline of a nuke plant, and about
13,000 times higher than the average annual radiation
dose from worldwide nuclear-energy production.”
[Quoted from foxnews.com]
related material
ionising
radiation and health—risk analysis
nuclear power -
is nuclear power really
really dangerous?
| 
