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Current Events -- week of March 11- 19
Supermoon March 18
Earthquakes and Tsunamis
Recent major earthquakes
2010-- Haiti, Chile, New Zealand,
Haiti – Jan 12 --7.0
2011 -- Japan
Chile -- Feb 27, 2010 -- 8.8
New Zealand – Sep 3, 2010 – 7.2
Japan - Mar 11– 8.9
Nuclear Power and Radiation
Fission
Fusion
What is this “radiation” ?
Is it electromagnetic ?
Some gamma rays released but most is radioactive
particles -- neutrons and daughter products – nuclei
Unit of measurement – Sievert
Everyday sources of radiation
m = milli = 0.001
m = micro = 0.000001
Natural /year
Artificial
Cosmic (avg)
0.39mSv
Earth crust
0.46 mSv
Radon
1.3 mSv
Food & drink
0.23 mSv
Total
2.4mSv
Increased cancer risk
100mSv/yr
Fukishima workers
250mSv/yr
chest CT scan
mammogram
NYC LA flight
Flight crews
5.8mSv
3 mSv
40m Sv
9 mSv/yr
50 km of nuclear plant
0.09mSv/yr
50 km coal plant
0.30mSv/yr
Increased cancer risk
>100mSv/yr
Fukishima workers
250mSv
Dose limit radiation poisoning
Severe radiation poisoning
Fatal
400mSv short term
2000mSv = 2Sv short term
8Sv
3 Mile Island -- avg total dose was 80mSv within 10 mi !
California -- 3/19 < 1mSv from Fukushima fallout
Has the US Media exaggerated the risk? --- YES
SEE http://www.xkcd.com/radiation for a good illustration
For comparative radiation levels around the world see also ----
http://scienceblogs.com/deanscorner/2011/03/are_you_getting_more_radiation.php
From http://www.weathertrends360.com/Blog/Post/You-Ate-More-Radiation-Than-TokyoJapan-836
And if you smoke see
http://www.fatcat.com.au/news/home/Ask+an+Advisor/422_0.html