Ionising radiation being touted to children as safe?

(What are “health physicists” anyway ? Doesn’t sound like they’re doctors)

Students learn about radiation Mar 05, 2011 RICHLAND, Wash.- Second graders at Christ the King School in Richland got a hands-on physics demonstration Friday.

Two health physicists taught the children about personal protective equipment, radiation detection, and examples of everyday items containing radiation.

Some of those everyday items include: bananas, some rocks, and even human beings. Students learn about radiation – KNDO/KNDU Tri-Cities, Yakima, WA |

March 5, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | spinbuster, USA

10 Comments »

Health Physicists play important roles in hospitals and workplaces protecting people and workers from exposure to damaging radiation. I’m completely shocked that anyone who would talk about ionising radiation would be ignorant of what a health physicist is or does. I am also very offended at the snide remark insinuating they are not doctors. When and where has that been claimed and why do you feel it is appropriate to disparage an entire occupation dedicated to protecting people from harm?

Comment by James Reynolds | March 5, 2011 | Reply
- Well, yes, I am ignorant about what a health physicist is or does. And thank you for enlightening me.
  And – I apologise for my snide remark about them.
  It sounds as though health physicists are very necessary and valued professionals.
  I can only add that it is very unfortunate that media coverage, of this talk to children, was given in such a way as to trivialise the health dangers of ionising radiation. I do hope that those health physicists went on to explain the matter more responsibly than this news item implied.
  
  Comment by Christina MacPherson | March 6, 2011 | Reply
  - Thanks for your response. I can not attest to the content of this presentation but any Health Physicist with any ethics would certainly not down play the seriousness or potential danger of ionizing radiation. I am assuming (hoping) the presenters conducted themselves in an honest and ethical manner. The majority of HP’s aren’t involved in the nuclear industry (unless you count nuclear medicine for hospitals) and those that do work on job sites where nuclear materials or power is produced are there because the utility company has to have them (NRC regulations). Because of this I would tend to view any information given by an HP to be more unbiased than that given by your typical PR/sales?spokeperson/whatever.
    
    Comment by James Reynolds | March 6, 2011
“What are “health physicists” anyway ? Doesn’t sound like they’re doctors”

You are absolutley right, they are not but then they never claim to be either (unles a MD happens to be the RPO in a radiological department at a hospital, though I belive that it is quite rare).

A “health physicist” is a person trained and certified to asses the health risks when work is performed involving radioactie substances or ionizing radiation as defined by the applicable regulations. “Physicist” here would imply a person knowledgable in the subject of Physics and radiation physics in particular, the health bit has to do with knowing what the regulations say and their implication for the health of a “worker”.

Comment by Matte | March 5, 2011 | Reply
- Thank you also, Matte, for this information.
  I trust that all health physicists are ethical people, though the thought occurs to me that some of them might not be.
  It is clear to me that where careers and money are concerned, in the areas of nuclear radiation, some professionals of many kinds are happy to toe the nuclear lobby’s line. Lately the pro nuclear propaganda has promoted the idea that ionising radiation is not really hazardous, not worth worrying about – or, even beneficial. This new tactic by the nuclear lobby seeks to blur any distinction between radiation existing in nature, and that produced by the nuclear industry, (including medical radiation).
  
  Comment by Christina MacPherson | March 6, 2011 | Reply
  - You really are clueless aren’t you?
    Certified and regulations are two words that RPOs’ live by, red tape galore…
    
    Comment by Matte | March 6, 2011
  - “Certified” and “regulations” are two necessary, but in a sense, flexible words. RPOs might need to live not just by the “letter of the l;aw” , but also be mindful of the reality of ionising radiation
    
    *There is a very long list of products which were considered to be safe when first introduced into the public domain: cigarettes, DDT and many other pesticides, food additives, flame retardants, and drugs such as diethylstilbestrol (DES) and thalidomide. ** *
    
    *Many have subsequently been removed from the market or had their use restricted. We have no logical basis to assume that radiation exposure will not follow this same pattern, and indeed we have seen allowable exposures to radiation decrease dramatically over the past century as we come to understand its effects. The weight of scientific evidence indicates that there is no safe dose of radiation exposure and there is currently pressure to reduce permissible exposure limits even further.*
    
    Comment by Christina MacPherson | March 6, 2011
Shame on them for spreading the malicious lie that bananas are safe! It is grossly irresponsible for these people to indoctrinate children with the notion that radioactive foods aren’t dangerous. Who will be held accountable in 20 years time when these children end up with cancer after eating bananas all their lives?

Comment by Arcanyn | March 5, 2011 | Reply
- The banana suppliers will try to blame the Brazil nut growers, who will try to blame the granite countertop installers, who will push it onto the EXIT sign makers. The real villain, the old Coleman lantern mantle designers, will have long since passed.
  
  Comment by Atomikrabbit | March 7, 2011 | Reply
For all toxins, whether they be biological, chemical, or radiological, dose and dose rate mean everything.

Biological – a few water-borne Guardia parasites may be imbibed by a hiker drinking out of a stream with no consequences – the body’s defenses can overcome them. The same hiker taking in a thousand will have cramps and diarrhea they will never forget.

Chemical – one aspirin a day may be good for you – a hundred fatal.

Radiological – A few millirem are below the threshold of biological concern; the body can easily repair any damage done. The people of Ramsar Iran have lived for centuries in an area with a natural background radiation level 200 times normal and have been studied extensively with no adverse effects found: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramsar,_Mazandaran#Radioactivity

500,000 mR will kill 50% of those exposed within a few days, if no medical intervention.

If you were to find a way, and be foolish enough, to hug an unshielded spent fuel assembly fresh from the reactor you would be dead before you could say “Greenpeace”.

Comment by Atomikrabbit | March 6, 2011 | Reply