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Overexposed: Imaging tests boost U.S. radiation dose

Overexposed: Imaging tests boost U.S. radiation dose

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) Mar 4, 2009 – Americans are exposed to seven times more radiation from diagnostic scans than in 1980, a report found on Tuesday as experts said doctors are overusing the tests for profit and raising health risks for patients.

The findings, issued by National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurement, add to already mounting evidence that doctors are ordering too many diagnostic tests, driving up the cost of healthcare in the United States and potentially harming patients.

While diagnostic scans give doctors valuable information and many times are necessary, doctors fear too much radiation exposure can cause cancer, especially in younger people………………………”Unfortunately, one of the things we have seen in the imaging world is that many physicians look at imaging as the solution to their financial problems,” Thrall, head of radiology at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, said in a telephone interview.

Overexposed: Imaging tests boost U.S. radiation dose | Reuters

March 4, 2009 Posted by | environment, USA | Leave a comment

Radio New Zealand News : Stories : 2009 : 03 : 04 : Nuclear waste ships can’t be stopped – Greens

Nuclear waste ships can’t be stopped – Greens Radio New Zealand  4 March 2009

Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons says there’s nothing the Government can do to stop ships carrying reprocessed nuclear fuel travelling in New Zealand waters.

Greenpeace says two vessels carrying 1.8 tonnes of mixed oxide have left France for Japan and could travel near New Zealand.

It claims the shipments are the largest-ever of reprocessed uranium and plutonium.

Ms Fitzsimons says the Government cannot force the vessels to stay out of New Zealand waters, but should demand that they stay out of New Zealand’s exclusive economic zone.

Anti-nuclear legislation can only keep them out of New Zealand harbours.

Environment Minister Nick Smith says he will send a strong message to the Governments of Japan and France that the vessels keep to the high seas.

Radio New Zealand News : Stories : 2009 : 03 : 04 : Nuclear waste ships can’t be stopped – Greens

March 4, 2009 Posted by | New Zealand, safety | Leave a comment

Japan – nuclear power woes

Hiccups causing major delays at nuclear plant THE ASAHI SHIMBUN BY EISUKE SASAKI AND HIDENORI TSUBOYA 3 March 09 “……………….technical failures, responsible for yet another delay in two- decade-old efforts to launch the plant, are far from last-minute crinkles.

Not only have they proved frustratingly difficult to iron out, the problems at the Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant, conceived as a major link in Japan’s nuclear fuel recycling program, could shake the program to its foundations.

Plant operator Japan Nuclear Fuel Ltd. (JNFL) announced Jan. 30 it would postpone the end of testing from February to August–the 16th time it has delayed completion of the plant, which was originally due to go into full operation more than a decade ago, in 1997.

The technical troubles affecting one of its two glass melting furnaces, built to treat complex, heat-generating radioactive materials so that they can be buried safely in the ground, continue to confound JNFL.

When in operation, the Rokkasho plant will reprocess spent fuel from nuclear power stations in Japan to extract plutonium, which will be burned again to generate electricity. But the latest delay could jeopardize the nation’s nuclear fuel recycling policy.

The last five delays were due to malfunctions that occurred in the furnace in the process of vitrifying the liquid high-level radioactive waste…………………the Rokkasho plant employs technology developed in France,……………………Meanwhile, Japan’s fuel recycling program has come under scrutiny from the international community, which has asked questions about the country’s handling of weapons-grade plutonium. Among non-nuclear nations, Japan is the only country allowed under the international nonproliferation regime to produce plutonium in its reprocessing plant………………………….will leave a vast quantity of weapons-grade plutonium from the 31 tons already possessed by Japan–25 tons of which are in storage in Britain and France, where Japan sent spent fuel to be reprocessed from the 1980s, and 6 tons in Japan…………………the changing international political climate could affect Japan’s plans. Under the new administration of President Barack Obama, the United States will likely shift away from its nuclear fuel recycling policy.

asahi.com（朝日新聞社）：Hiccups causing major delays at nuclear plant – English

March 4, 2009 Posted by | business and costs, Japan | Leave a comment

Nuclear Waste

Nuclear Waste The Herald (UK) “……………………A large nuclear power station will produce up to 30 tonnes of high-level waste per year.After reprocessing and vitrification, using current technology, this reduces to a volume of three cubic metres.advertisementWorldwide, to date, there are just over 120,000 tonnes of high-level waste stored above ground at power stations and other sites.

When all this waste is treated, it will have a volume of 12,000 cubic metres; or it will fit into a cube 23 metres on each side.In other words, all of the high-level nuclear waste produced by all the commercial power reactors in the world would fit into 180 40ft shipping containers.

There are 438 commercial power reactors operating in the world today, producing 12,000 tonnes of high-level waste each year.So, our storage problems are increasing at the rate of 18 shipping containers per year………………………..

these numbers only take account of nuclear reactors used to generate electricity: the nuclear weapons industries produce much more high-level waste than commercial power generation (99 times more in the US).

Also, I don’t think shipping containers are the best place to store vitrified nuclear waste.”

Thomas W Durning,

Nuclear Waste (from The Herald )

March 4, 2009 Posted by | UK, wastes | Leave a comment