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From: silber@batcomputer.TN.CORNELL.EDU (Jeffrey Silber)
Newsgroups: net.analog,net.consumers,net.med
Subject: Re: Old Geiger counters
Message-ID: <225@batcomputer.TN.CORNELL.EDU>
Date: Tue, 6-May-86 10:35:59 EDT
Article-I.D.: batcompu.225
Posted: Tue May  6 10:35:59 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 10-May-86 12:20:57 EDT
References: <822@oliveb.UUCP> <202@brl-sem.ARPA>
Reply-To: silber@batcomputer.UUCP (Jeffrey Silber)
Distribution: net
Organization: Theory Center, Cornell University, Ithaca NY
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Xref: linus net.analog:796 net.consumers:4683 net.med:3753


I am a volunteer firefighter in my spare time, and all NY State fire
departments have a radiation kit which has a geiger counter and a
bunch of dosimeters.  Most of them have a range of 0-5 roentgens, and 
believe me that is preferable to the ones where the range is 0-200!
The present teachings indicate that a one-shot, once-a-year dose of
5 roentgens will do no harm.  We are also taught that a once-in-a-lifetime
emergency dose on 25 roentgens is permissible with little ill effect.
What made us laugh was where they said that "in times of national emergency
firefighters may be expected to have a one-month cumulative dose of 200
roentgens."  The 200 figure is what is considered the maximum sub-clinical
exposure.  Above that one would be expected to show at least some hematologic
signs of radiation poisioning.

-- 

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A million here, a million there ... they all add up.
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Jeffrey A. Silber              silber@devvax.tn.cornell.edu
Business Manager               JAS@CORNELLD
Center for Theory & Simulation {decvax,ihnp4,cmcl2,vax135}!cornell!devvax!silber
   in Science & Engineering    265 Olin Hall
Cornell University             Ithaca, NY  14853