Particles

[John Little]

Well that was interesting.

I'm watching BBC1 - and I suppose it might be available on iplayer.

The man in charge of recovering particles said that if you got a particle under your fingernail it might turn red and sore then pass after a few days.

Then there would be a slightly increased risk of developing a cancer...

I have a sense that all the media stuff about the danger of particles is a bit overdone.
I was particularly taken with the sequence where the guys looking for particles were screening the sand - the geiger counter was doing overtime but no protective clothing in sight.

That was OK because they do not touch it.

Also the sight of the BBC guy inside the sphere- no protective clothing in sight.

Good programme. Episode 8 on this link - but they have not put it up yet;

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/search?q=Bang%20Goes%20the%20Theory

[George Brims]

The reason the particles ARE NOT particularly dangerous is that plutonium is an alpha emitter. You can block alpha particles with a couple of sheets of newspaper - or a plastic suit made in Halkirk.
The reason the particles ARE particularly dangerous is that plutonium is an alpha emitter. You can block alpha particles with a few mm of human tissue - which are damaged by them. So if you get a speck in your lungs for instance you stand a good chance of developing cancer.
Would be interested to see this show but I don't think they have yet made iplayer available outside the UK.

[Rheghead]

Well that was interesting.

I'm watching BBC1 - and I suppose it might be available on iplayer.

The man in charge of recovering particles said that if you got a particle under your fingernail it might turn red and sore then pass after a few days.

Then there would be a slightly increased risk of developing a cancer...

I have a sense that all the media stuff about the danger of particles is a bit overdone.
I was particularly taken with the sequence where the guys looking for particles were screening the sand - the geiger counter was doing overtime but no protective clothing in sight.

That was OK because they do not touch it.

Also the sight of the BBC guy inside the sphere- no protective clothing in sight.

Good programme. Episode 8 on this link - but they have not put it up yet;

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/search?q=Bang%20Goes%20the%20Theory

Isn't the Governor General of the BBC,Chris Patten, an ex tory MP? The Conservatives are wedded to the nuclear industry, surely?

[John Little]

George; thankyou for that - very interesting. The Dounreay guys on the programme seemed to think the risk not very high but what you said chimes in with what I saw.

Reggie; if you are implying that the BBC can over-ride DSRL's safety procedures, which are enforceable under criminal law- not civil law- because their Governor General is an ex Tory then you may need to buy a tin-foil hat.

Unless you are just making some random unrelated comments...


Do you not like nuclear things?


All I have done is draw attention to a programme I found interesting. You don't have to watch it.

[bekisman]

Isn't the Governor General of the BBC,Chris Patten, an ex tory MP? The Conservatives are wedded to the nuclear industry, surely?Oh goody, a conspiracy theory - we've not had one of those for ages and ages!

[scotsboy]

Are you talking about the particles detected on the Dounreay Foresshore, Sandside beach and around the effluent discharge line offshore from the Dounreay site? If so they are mostly Caesium137 and not Plutonium.

[Rheghead]

Reggie; if you are implying that the BBC can over-ride DSRL's safety procedures, which are enforceable under criminal law- not civil law- because their Governor General is an ex Tory then you may need to buy a tin-foil hat.

No just saying that everything is in the presentation and who better to manipulate the presentation than the BBC?

[Rheghead]

Do you not like nuclear things?

I can't get too worked up about the health and safety aspect of nuclear, it is right enough, I'm just not in love with nuclear, it isn't low carbon, sustainable, environmentally friendly or cheap.

[John Little]

Ah - so its a manipulative conspiracy to twist the presentation with deliberate bias. I see.Interesting take on nuclear - would your avatar agree with you I wonder?

[Rheghead]

Ah - so its a manipulative conspiracy to twist the presentation with deliberate bias. I see.Interesting take on nuclear - would your avatar agree with you I wonder?

I'm sure he would.

[bekisman]

No just saying that everything is in the presentation and who better to manipulate the presentation than the BBC?So, you are stating that Chris Patten has manipulated the presentation ? that is an outrageous statement, basically a libel, you should be very careful what you publish..

I also note your "I'm just not in love with nuclear, it isn't low carbon, sustainable, environmentally friendly or cheap" you think wind farms are cheap!!! where have you been?

[Rheghead]

Another BBC 1 programme on just now, The One Show, the subject? The wildlife of the Dounreay nuclear site. Stop it Chris, just stop it!!

[Dadie]

Did it show the lady removing the scottish primrose from round Oigins Geo?
She transplanted the ones they found.
And left holes........

[scotsboy]

Origins Geo, been a few years since I picked whelks there!

[secrets in symmetry]

Are you talking about the particles detected on the Dounreay Foresshore, Sandside beach and around the effluent discharge line offshore from the Dounreay site? If so they are mostly Caesium137 and not Plutonium.Is Caesium 137 the only significant radioactive component of the particles? I read somewhere that their Caesium 137 content is used to classify them, but it wasn't clear to me that there aren't significant quantities of other radioactive elements in there too.

I think Bang Goes the Theory is the best Science programme on TV, although that's not saying a lot.

[sids]

Is Caesium 137 the only significant radioactive component of the particles? I read somewhere that their Caesium 137 content is used to classify them, but it wasn't clear to me that there aren't significant quantities of other radioactive elements in there too.

I think Bang Goes the Theory is the best Science programme on TV, although that's not saying a lot.

You can find good info by googling sandside dounreay particles. Fission products like Cs and SR-90 have much higher activity per unit mass than the plutonium or uranium fuel. That matters in the case of these particles.

[secrets in symmetry]

Thanks sids. The Dounreay website on these matters is very good.

See Sandside (http://www.dounreay.com/particle-cleanup/beach-monitoring/sandside). The photos are beautiful.

To see a list of finds at Sandside click here
(http://www.dounreay.com/UserFiles/File/Particle%20finds/Particle%20finds%20at%20Sandside%281%29.pdf)
I didn't know that most of the infamous particles came from DMTR, I'd always assumed they were from DFR. I've learned a couple of things today.