In The Fffects of Nuclear Weavons,
it is noted that:
» « «. internal sources of , . . beta particles, or soft (low-energy)
gamma~ray emitters can dissipate their entire energy within a small,
possibly sensitive, volume of body tissue thus causing considerahle
damage."
(51 7.
604-5)
The implication of the above statement denotes an area ahout which
there was much controversy during the discussion about radioactive fallout
and its effects in the United States,
exposure in terms of averages, e.q.,
Many scientists described dosage and
the maximum permissable concentration
(MPC) of strontium 90 allowable in the body of a worker in atomic industries,
This is 1000 "Sunshine Units" which is 1000 micromicrocuries
(ahbreviated
as uuC--one millionth of a millionth of a curie, a small unit of radioactivity)
per total weight of calcium in a person's body,
1000 grams of calcium in his bodv,
Since the average person has
it equals 1 uuC per gram,
maximum permissible concentration for the general population
working in atomic industry)
hovever,
(those not
is 1/l0th of that, or 100 "Sunshine Units.”
There are also other PC's for other radionuclides,
does not indicate,
The equivalent
what this averaging
is the fact that strontium,
like other isotones,
not only selectively concentrates in certain tissues or organs, but that
its distribution in these areas is now alvavs uniform,
This means that
it is possible for a worker to have a total concentration in his tody or
an organ of less than, or ecual to the MPC of strontium, but that because
it is unevenly denosited, he may have high concentrations or “hot snots
where the MPC" of 1 micromicrocurie
gram of calcium is exceeded.
(or 1/10 of a micromicrocurie)
90
Thus garwa and beta-emitters like Sr’, CS
2.137
and I
.
131..
which
for each
;
selectively
*The term MPC since that time has been changed to Recommended Permissible
Corcentration (RPC),
101425