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Sunday, June 30, 2013

Hospital Sewage As A Radiation Source

Here's a Forbes blog which points out that I-131 can be a radiation source at waste treatment plants.

His information comes from a study in the latest Health Physics Journal (I haven't received that issue yet).

The blog states that:

"The measured I-131 peaked at the euiqvlent (sic) of 3.68 millisieverts per year, which is slightly higher than the estimated dose Americans receive from background radiation."

The annual dose (an estimate, the activity concentration is measured) is pretty high for a member of the general public (I doubt those water treatment plant workers have the training and dosimeters to be considered occupational workers).

Sense About Science

Dot org.

Looks like a great organization.

They have a publication on radiation.

CME Headed Our Way

See my link to Space Weather (right hand side of this webpage) and you'll find video of a coronal mass ejection expected to hit our magnetic field today or early tomorrow.

Mr. Tritium

This is a follow-up to this post with Ian Fairlie.

Dr. Fairlie refers to himself as Mr. Tritium.

He seems to have a fixation for it for some reason.

Here's an NRC fact sheet on tritium.

It's primarily produced by neutron absorption by B-10:

B-10 + n --> 2 He-4 + H-3

Though, more typically Li-7 + He-4 are the products of the neutron absorption.

These 3 U.S. States Love Nuclear Energy

Try to pick 'em before reading.

Christians Upset When Others Engage In Free Speech

We need more of this.

Another Pandora's Promise Review

It's a pretty good review, though his link to the "National Institute of Sciences warning" is atrocious.  It's the National Academy of Sciences and his link doesn't take you there.

He correctly points out a bad argument made by many pro-nukes:

"If it makes sense to reduce exposures to lead, mercury and pesticides in the environment, why should radioactivity enjoy the special status of a "protected pollutant"? "

Testing A-Bomb Survivors In The U.S.

This is a short piece from a local Los Angeles television station on testing those Japanese who survived the a-bomb, and eventually relocated to the U.S.

It doesn't really do justice to what is the largest and most expensive epidemiological project ever.

They don't even mention its name, the Radiation Effects Research Foundation.

Not only do they study the a-bomb survivors, they also study their offspring, so RERF could continue for many more decades.

Global Warming

Linked to Australia's "the angry summer" of 2012.

Americans are feeling the heat too.

Saturday, June 29, 2013

Who Was Karl Z. Morgan?

One of the founders (usually called The Founder) of health physics.

He also founded and was first president of the Health Physics Society.

He eventually became angry at many health physicists who had become too dependent on the nuclear industry.

Scamming Off Chernobyl

This seems touching, but it's a scam using children.

Fukushima Melted Fuel Removal To Begin In 2020

Optimistically.

In Case Last Post Wasn't Enough Stupid....

Here's more.

Her point is that we get the Dose and Dose Rate Effectiveness Factor (DDREF) from the NCRP's Report 64 from 1980.

Hello????

This Should Be Enough Stupid For One Weekend

It's Ed Calabrese propaganda (ie,radiation hormesis) in the scientific journal, YouTube.

If you're not familiar with Calabrese, search his name on this blog.  See pages (upper right of this page) "Hormesis - Ideological Toxicology" and "Comparing The Creationist & Hormesis Cults".

Let's dig in....

Friday, June 28, 2013

Pilot Wind Farm Underway Off Fukushima

It's 2 MW.  Fukushima's six reactors supplied over 4,500 MW.

Preacher Accepts Reality

By giving up "faith" (ie, nonsense).

Others on morning news show don't accept reality....in the 21st century.

Some Americans Are Cooling Off On Global Warming

Some Americans are morons.

Nevada National Security Site

A proud past, an exciting future.

Expert On Scientific Evidence?

That's how S. Fred Singer is introduced (at about 1:00) at the cult International Conference On Climate Change (sounds official, right?).

Mapping I-131 Deposition

A new data analysis methodology developed by the U.S. NNSA & the Japanese AEA.

This looks at early stage post-Fukushima data to map the spatial distribution of I-131.  The mapping results are published in the latest Health Physics Journal.

Occupational Exposures Make News

Doses of 5 mrem.

Workers routinely get doses of that order of magnitude everyday, though this exposure was unintentional.

MIssing Nuclear Material Poses Attack Risk

Of course it does.  The nuclear weapons grade material is more worrisome than dirty bomb material.

There is a dirty bomb paradox...the more one spreads the radioactivity, the smaller the dose rate it delivers, though it can affect many people.  The less one spreads the radioactivity, the fewer people affected, though they get higher doses.

Quarrels Over HLW

Continue....but the NYT is confusing low level waste for which there are several disposal sites (see photo of canisters for drums (not high level waste which includes commercial spent fuel) at the WCS low level disposal site) with spent nuclear fuel for which there is no disposal site.  A typical dry storage cask.

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Star Trek-like Radiation Shield

Is being studied to protect astronauts from solar and cosmic radiation.

U.N. Downplays Health Effects Of Nuclear Radiation

Not really, the article should be titled:

"George Gao Downplays Professional Responsibility Of Objective Journalism".

See what the experts say, and then find anyone with a different conclusion regardless of the quality of their work, and then play one against the other.

Nice.

Cancers Evolve

That's what I've been saying (see "Radiation, Evolution, Cancer & Aging" to the upper right of this webpage).

Health Physics Problem Of The Day

Here's an op-ed by a couple of anti-nuclear activists who claim the toxic waste from nuke plants is too dangerous.

I'm going to ignore what's "dangerous" or not, that's a relative term and has to be compared to other things.

How about this sentence?:

"Plutonium-239, for example, if inhaled in quantities as small as a millionth of an ounce, will cause cancer with a virtual 100 percent statistical certainty."

True or false?

Let's dig in.........

AAPM Report On Airport Scanners

""Long-term stochastic effects such as cancer risk are assumed to be directly proportional to received dose with no safe threshold. The cancer risk cannot be estimated with any precision, but is likely to be so low as to be indistinguishable from other background risks. The risk to the individual is thought to be close to zero
for a scanned individual, but “at the population level the possible effect cannot be ignored in the
assessment of acceptability of the introduction of the security scanners using x-rays for passenger
screening.” (AAPM quoting their reference 22)

For perspective, we think it important that this potential increase in risk to the population be considered in light of the presumed increase in risk originating from the much greater radiation exposure from the flight itself."

From Report 217.

Japan Receives French MOX

The first fuel received since Fukushima.

Perma-Fix North Reports Contamination

To state regulators.  Seems minor (lack of real data in article) but it still gives watchdogs (or chihuahuas?) something to bite at the ankles about.


Wednesday, June 26, 2013

It's Been A Gay Day!

DOMA overturned and those wanting to fight a California's court ruling that Prop 8 (outlawing gay marriage) was unconstitutional didn't have standing.

Republicans likely to try to pray away the gay, which didn't work when they wanted gay people to pray away their gay.


Wendy Davis - Hero

A TX state senator who filibustered against attacks on women's health issues.

TX's behavior isn't so praiseworthy.

It's okay for the state to kill an adult woman, but not okay for an adult woman (sometimes a teen) to kill a fetus.  Makes sense.

Heartland Institute's Pseudo-Climate Change Conference - Pat Michaels

I can't embed the video, it's here.

Think of a cult which ridicules the larger society, heaps praises on its preachers, and refuses to engage in objective debate with the larger society.

Abandoning MOX Plant?

I'm conflicted on this one.

MOX (Mixed OXide) is the process where plutonium from nuclear weapons is mixed with uranium to make fuel for largely carbon free nuclear reactors.  So with this process we could be reducing two grave human ills, weapons and CO2.

On the other hand, the plant has an expensive and troubled history and the U.S. is highly in debt.

The issue is anti-kids too - that seems to be the theme today - we leave them with either debt, nuclear weapons, or heat.

The Heritage Foundation - Against Kids Too

They're against Common Core State Standards.  In other words, they're against education standards, because with lack of standards you get kids who can be taught without any standards.

And dumb kids will grow up into dumb adults and they may join the Heritage Foundation.



Ahhhh, That's So Nice!

Schadenfreude - pleasure derived from the misfortunes of others (see video at bottom of link).

Nothing like attracting kids with dinosaurs in order to lie to them.  That's anti-kids.

Turkeys!

"...evolution was not proven...."

No scientific theory is proven...it's just the best explanation which has gained scientific consensus based on a large number of tested hypotheses.  This is anti-kids.

Fukushima Tritium Concentration Rising

It's "concentration", not "density".

The concentration is still pretty low, but hints at leakage.

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Obama's Climate Change Plan

Change we can believe in?

Speaking of hot air:


"Should We Be Concerned About Low Levels Of Radiation?"

This talk by Ian Fairlee appears to have been given last year in the U.K. in front of an environmental group.

Fairlee tends to engage in very nuanced fear mongering, though he is technically correct on many issues.

Anti-Vaxxers Go Home!

You go Australia!

Music please, Maestro:


Chernobyl Fear-Mongering

"Imagine going to bed at night knowing something like this could happen," said Chad Oliver, director of the Global Institute of Sustainable Forestry at Yale University, who has studied the region since 2005.

From here.

I don't have to imagine. I'll be going to bed at night knowing something like this could happen.



$ellafield Decommissioning

Is very expensive.

Fire Concerns At DoE TRU Waste Processing Facility

In Oak Ridge.

Monday, June 24, 2013

HLW & TRU Wastes

James Conca has a blog explaining the difference between the two categories (there are others) of radioactive waste.  The point he seems to be making is that if we classify the 57 million gallons of Hanford waste as TRU rather than HLW, it will be $200 billion cheaper to physically and chemically treat.

Noam Chomsky On Fukushima & Nuclear Power

He's been described as a linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, etc.

Here he's discussing Fukushima and nuclear power with someone who is involved in a campaign to evacuate children from Fukushima.  Children around the globe are having to contend with hunger, poverty, lack of health care, etc.  Fukushima should be way down on a priority list.  I'm not sure why Chomsky did this interview, but at least he was rational.  The person posing questions referred to nuclear power as "suicidal":



If You Believe In Evolution, Prepare To Have Your Faith Shaken

HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!




The Sun - Look Beyond Skin Cancer Risk

Your eyes are at risk too.

(But National Sunglasses Day?  Ok, I guess if it raises awareness.)

Who Was Clarence Dally?

The first person to die from x-rays.

SHINE Expects Truckload Of Radwaste Per Month

Why that's newsworthy, I don't know.

Music please, Maestro:


Saturday, June 22, 2013

Friday, June 21, 2013

Fukushima Health Effects

Does this clear things up?

Skin Cancer Risks - Look Beyond The Sun

When something is capable of mutating DNA, it poses a cancer risk.

Microdosimetry

Here is a nice collection of slides showing how much we know about radiation microdosimetry.

In particular, I like the third set (Nikjoo). Notice page 6 which contains a wealth of data on radiation interactions from the tissue down to the DNA molecule level.

Pages 20 & 21 show computer modeling of radiation interactions.

Page 38 shows the DNA damage from a single proton (SSB = single strand break, DSB = double strand break, BD = base damage).

Page 40 shows the level of detail we understand about one mechanism of DNA repair (often employed for DSB's) called non-homologous end joining.


Large Objects Behave Quantum Mechanically

It's just very tough to measure:


Nevada Governor Plays Politics With Radwaste

And Senator Reid jumps on the wagon.


Here's a blast from the past:



Thursday, June 20, 2013

Thank Goodness!

Gay-therapy ministry (ie, complete bullshit) has shutdown.

At best pseudo-science doesn't hurt people, at its worst it hurts people.

Killing Cancer With Serial Killer Cells

Which are infected with genetically modified HIV viruses!


Fukushima's Groundwater Is Contaminated

At different levels than earlier reported.

It sounds somewhat scary, but it's important to understand what the regulatory levels are based on.

Hanford Has Some 'Splaining To Do

I've worked there!  (Just for a month)

Rod Adams - Convenient Censoring

Rod Adams commented in the recent Conca blog which blamed Fukushima's evacuations on health physics.

Adams wrote his own blog criticizing me, but when I last commented there, he wouldn't post my comments.

That's convenient.  That's how cults work.  I could go back to Conca's blog, since he posted this there too.  But it's like arguing with Creationists.  Adams has essentially deified nuclear power and can't handle the science which contradicts his deification.  Give him too many facts and he'll censor you, which is exactly what Creationists do:


So, I'll just address his nonsense here:

New Target For Science Deniers

Thirdhand cigarette smoke (the residues of primary and secondhand smoke) is mutagenic.

Expect the Marshall Institute to ramp up its propaganda machine.

Why Scientific Theories Are Easy Prey For Science Denialism

I think it goes to understanding the difference between a scientific hypothesis and a scientific theory.

High Energy Gamma Ray Astronomy Comes Back To Earth

They originate from supernova remnants.

Diverging Views On Weather "Whiplash"

Honest scientific debate instead of climate denial propaganda:


Observation Is Safe For Low-Risk Prostate Prostate Cancer

Rather than expensive and trying treatment.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Climate Denialism By "Principal Research Scientist"

You'd think he'd publish in a scholarly, peer-reviewed climatology journal, right?

Nope.  The Financial Post.

That's junk science.  If you have evidence to share with the experts, publish in the peer-reviewed literature you narcissistic, unethical, intellectual coward.

And of course he has a webpage to spread propaganda.

(More on cloud feedback.)

CT Software Reduces Dose By As Much As 37%

In children, adults may be next.

NY Men Planned To Attack People With X-Rays

But they got busted.

The Irony Of Wade Allison

He has some slides that he put together as a result of his enthusiasm for increasing radiation protection limits.

He quotes Adam Smith:

“Science is the great antidote to the poison of enthusiasm and superstition"

The irony of his incorporating that quote is completely lost on Allison.

He wants to "ditch LNT" by posting slides on a webpage.

He needs an antidote.

How To Masquerade Propaganda As Science

Joseph Mangano has had a lot of practice, here's his latest on the Brown's Ferry nuclear plant in AL.

The purpose of epidemiology is to understand correlations and causation as objectively as possible, while not fooling oneself.

Mangano is an anti-nuclear activist and that report was commissioned by an anti-nuclear group.  That's not pursuing objectivity, truth, accuracy, etc.  That's not science, it's propaganda masquerading as science.

If you want Mangano to assemble some anti-nuclear propaganda for your area, you can pay him here.  He will make it as scary as you want.

Uh Oh, Evolutionary Biology Challenged By Groundbreaking Discovery!

Only if you get your biology from the Christian News.

Apparently the author of the article didn't even read the study (see page 8):

"These data fit with previous results on gene-expression divergence between
human and chimpanzee (Marques-Bonet et al. 2004)."

If a study is consistent with results that are 9 years old, how is that ground breaking?

It's not.

Biologist P.Z. Myers has more.

Pseudoscience Hurts Real People

Especially "alternative medicine".

There is no such thing as alternative medicine.  If something is found to be medically efficacious it is medicine.  If it is not medically efficacious it is not medicine.  That's the value of the scientific method.

Aspirin May Help Fight Cancer

It may reduce inflammation which produces oxidants which contribute to mutating DNA.  DNA mutations lead to cancer.

TEPCO Finds Contaminated Groundwater

Hmmm, I wonder why. HA!

Surprising Matter

A particle consisting of 4 quarks, though it may be a meson "molecule".

In the Standard Model of particle physics we only have 2 or 3 quark particles:

Mesons consist of 2 quarks and include pions and kaons.

Baryons consist of 3 quarks and include neutrons and protons

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Patricia's A Bad Health Physicist & Scientist

Well she claims she's a health physicist and scientist.  She posted a comment on Conca's blog (the post I mentioned earlier):

James Conca Blames Health Physics For Fukushima Evac

From here:

"Popular misunderstanding and application of the Linear No-threshold dose hypothesis (LNT) to the general population was the biggest cause of any harmful effects."

The Link Between Genes & Cancer

Is discussed briefly here.

Bill Nye

Promoting science, which is what everyone should do.

Moron Realizes She Can't Live On Light

But she was upset about the negative reaction to her stupidity.

That's a common reaction with many people involved with pseudo-science.  Instead of understanding why they are wrong, they get mad at people who criticize them.  They usually develop a conspiracy fantasy about those with expertise who are trying to explain the science.  And then they justify the conspiracy fantasy...ie, the scientists are just saying that so they can get grant money, the doctors are just saying that so they can get money from the pharmaceutical companies, etc.

Monday, June 17, 2013

Global Rx Decommissionings

 Are discussed here.

Global Warming Denial At Pro-Nuclear Blog

The Nuclear Energy Institute is pro-nuclear power.  You'd think that people who write and read their blog would support climatology, especially when it tends to bode well for nuclear power (since more nuclear power could reduce greenhouse gas emissions).

Not the case.

Deflecting Pandora's Promise With Economics

Because nuclear power plants don't pose significant health risks (though the documentary understated some of them).

Crisis In Fukushima? Or Propaganda?

Here's a piece from Fairewinds Energy Propaganda Education pointing out that Japan hasn't received American expertise very well in assisting with Fukushima.

Let's dig in...

Environmentalists Seek To Block Waste Shipments

Of low level radwaste from Oak Ridge, TN to the Nevada Test Site.

Saturday, June 15, 2013

Weak

Very weak.  Good luck.

Pandora's Box Wars

I saw Rod Adam's blog claiming that the Union of Concerned Scientists's blog was fear mongering over the content of the documentary.

I don't read the UCS blog as fear mongering, more like correcting some errors in the documentary.

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Good Job Caterpillar!

For terminating your support of bigotry.

Ken Ham Is Disgusting


SWORD & Dark Lightning

SWORD is a Monte Carlo based software which can estimate doses to airline passengers from dark lightning (I prefer the term Terrestial Gamma Flashes).

China - You Have A Problem

Importing and translating climate change denial propaganda.

Robert Stone Doesn't Understand Health Physics

Even though he directed the pro-nuclear power documentary, Pandora's Promise.

He said:

“The new science is that there is a threshold below which radiation seems to have no epidemiological effect at all,” says Stone. “So that’s why these numbers can be played with and they might seem alarming, but people forget the huge number of people that die of cancer anyway.”

The Cyberknife M6

Treats brain tumors.

How To Cut Some Cancers By 62%

By reducing unnecessary and high dose pediatric CT scans.

Congrats Kansas!

For adopting the Next Generation Science Standards.

You do seem to have a couple of twits you need to deal with.

OK - You Have A Problem

Rep. Jim Bridenstine, a Republican, of course.

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Progress At Fukushima

But it's been tough going.

Norm MacDonald

Funny, but stupid:


The Manufactured Health Physics Debate

Edward Calabrese (search his name on this blog if unfamiliar) at the laughable American Assoc. of Naturopathic Physicians discussing hormesis and its "relationship to homeopathy".


The Manufactured Anti-Vaccine Debate

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is busy.

The Manufactured Biology Debate

IDiot (Intelligent Design propaganda spewer) Stephen C. Meyer is spreading doubt on biology.

The Cambrian explosion occurred over a period of 75,000,000 years, which is a lot of time.

We do have Precambrian metazoan fossils, he lied about that.


The Manufactured Climate Change Debate

Is discussed here.

Plastic Beats Aluminum

For shielding cosmic rays.

Pandora's Promise Criticism

Pandora's Promise is a new pro-nuclear power documentary.

Here is one environmentalist's (two, really) criticism of it.

308 More Reasons To Boycott Russia

Fuck Christianity.


Saturday, June 8, 2013

Discovering More Propaganda

More idiots trying to convince you not to believe the science of climatology.



Discovering Propaganda

From IDiots for idiots.


Springboro, OH - You Have A Problem

Creeping creationism in schools:


MARS At Hanford

Is used to vacuum high level radioactive waste out of tanks.  But too slowly.

Missouri Treatment Center To Resume Suspended Program

CoxHealth had overexposed patients due to calibration errors but now has new equipment and is resuming treatment.

Algorithm Provides Insight To Tumor Evolution

By de-cluttering the complex genomic data.

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Thyroid Cancer Incidence Soars After Fukushima

But it could be due to better detection, not radiation.

Right Wing Media Need A Science Class

Not really, they don't want to promote the truth.  They want to promote lies.

WCS Starts Taking Federal Radwaste

They've come a long way....it's nice to be owned by a billionaire.

Fukushima - New Tank Leak

Frustrating.

Science Denial, Science Education, and Social Justice

I can't embed the video, but here's a link.

Radioactive Soil Slows Hanford Vit Work

It is Hanford afterall.

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Put This Film On Your Schedule

A documentary about cancer.  If you can't wait until 2015, then I highly recommend the book.

Our Cool Weather - Is Not Cool

A weakening jet stream due to Arctic warming leads to cooler weather south of the Arctic:


Hanford Tanks - A Mess

Not likely to be cleaned up soon.

How A Mutation Leads To Cancer

One way is mutating EGFRviii in brain cells which controls a  gene splicing factor which impacts cellular metabolism.

DoE To Allow Scrap Metal Recycling?

Maybe.  And that has the anti-nukes' heads spinning.

Ohio - You Have A Problem

A bill allowing public school credit for religious classes.

Don't engage in child neglect (some would say abuse).

Monday, June 3, 2013

Catholic Church Discriminates & Loses Lawsuit

Too bad it wasn't for more $.

Sunscreen Slows Skins Aging

But only if you use it.

Fukushima Radioactivity In Seafood Poses Little Risk

To the animals and to human animals who may consume them.

Michael Douglas Follows Angelina Jolie's Lead

She announced she had inherited a mutated gene which raised public awareness on cancer genetics.

Michael Douglas announced he had throat cancer which he claimed were caused by the HPV virus.  One can't pinpoint the cause that clearly, but the virus is a risk factor.

It's Not Just A Don't-Buy For Father's Day

Keep your money.  It's a naturally radioactive stone and some mud that is being sold under the pretense that it improves prostate health.

It doesn't.  Don't buy it....ever.

G-Quadruplex

In cells these can lead to cancer, though cells do have an enzyme for repair.

Saturday, June 1, 2013

James Conca Chimes In On RADICON

The Canadian childhood leukemia study which found no excess from nuclear power plants.  Which if it did, it would be a blamed on chance or a confounder.  So I commented on his blog.

UPDATE:

Health physics-denier Jerry Cuttler also commented with this gem:

"We need further studies that are designed to provide evidence of decreased cancer rates due to up-regulation of protection systems by low radiation. Evidence of the benefit can be used to dismiss ongoing concerns."

Jerry, one has to have evidence before one makes a claim.  There is no evidence of "up-regulation of protection systems".  It's like believing in unicorns, and then claiming we need to find evidence of unicorns. No, find the evidence of unicorns to convince us they exist.