Geiger Counter readings - Updated: Radioactive fallout wave travelling across U.S?

reply to post by ChrisCrikey


So far, this seems to suggest that electro magnetic fields, such as earth's, repel most particles. There are exceptions.

wiki.answers.com...

Beta rays and alpha rays would be deflected by electric field while gamma rays are not always deflected by electric field.

So some rays, some particles are deflected, but not all of them.

and

wiki.answers.com...

Charged particles will be deflected by an electric field. The movement of any charged particle through an electric field will cause that charged particle to be attracted by one pole of the field and repelled by the other. That leaves uncharged particulate radiation, like a neutron, and electromagnetic radiation that will not be deflected by an electric field. The electromagnetic radiation will include X-rays and gamma rays.

Read more: wiki.answers.com...

reply to post by Unity_99

Thank you so much for that. I'm feeling a little mystified! What the heck, today may or may not be a good day for some guitar shredding but I guess it's always like that depending on the neighbors. : ) This site was just down for a while for maintenance but just now back up. cdxnode64.epa.gov... I hope "maintenance" was something good but yes the numbers all seem to be going down now in my area. I honestly don't know what to make of those numbers except my area has been scary high today.

reply to post by Unity_99


UNITY I read your post regarding tucson again @ 224 can you tell me why thes rad sites etc. are not showing dangerous levels ? I am tasking in all info I CAN Phage answered last nite said everything in tucson normal ?? more info from intelligent people that understand these levels -please thanks!!!

reply to post by Unity_99


Unity I think you are right on in your posts regarding this any speculation why the hell az. numbers sre high every dam day what to do?? maybe clear out if this is going to get worse?? I am not going out side considering taping windows tomorrow morning!!

Phage, I think you and a few others here have a real good idea what is going on as well as know how to read these things and guide inexperienced people thru this!! I am on here asap today for more info as I staed earlier radnet and some others are showing 20 in tucson and unity shows consistent over 200 last 2 days???

reply to post by condition9

You cannot compare the number from the EPA and those from other sites. They are using different instruments and are showing different things. Unity_99 does not seem to care about that fact though it is very important.

But looking at the EPA (Unity_99's) source what do we see? Between January 1st and March 10th (before the earthquake and tsunami) the maximum reached in Tucson was 382. There were 79 readings over 200.

Levels have been far from "consistently over 200" for the past two days.. They have varied between and 19 and 240.

reply to post by Phage


WOW! O..K. I would like to thank you for the info and can you explain thse 300 readings you are talking about? Is this the same danger zone when speaking on these numbers as talked about on here referencing anything over 100? If so what to do??

reply to post by condition9


I am correcting my response phage as I read more clearly what you are stating taking in the info from the many sources regarding instruments and readings it does make sense, so what you are saying also is that tucson is getting hit from radiation even prior??

reply to post by condition9

Everywhere is always being "hit" with radiation. It is called background radiation, it is unavoidable and it is harmless.

The levels of radiation being seen in Tucson and everywhere else in the US are well within the levels of normal background radiation. Radiation levels are not elevated. There is nothing to be concerned about.

reply to post by Phage


Thanks again; I am very informed on many,many subjects and intelligent on them, this is one area that took me and probly thousands of others by total surprise! I haven't been concerned about radiation fallout as very few disasters hits here other than border wars.

reply to post by Phage


hi phage
i would like for you to comment on the effects os radio active dust particles
the equipment in civilian hands is not the best for tracking this type of dispersal cloud
if the "cloud" or dust is dispursed and not concentrated then it would be very hard to detect with civilian
devices. you mentioned the EPA had air drawn sampling counters.
if the particles are not "in" the drawn air there is no problem ?
do these particles cause "spikes" in civilian counters
are these particles traceable without "direct" contact with the sensor?
most readers "count" the emitions from the particles not the particles themselves,
so unless the particle interacts with the reader, the only noticable effect is spiking from each particle as its proximity to the sensor is decreased.
how do the EPA track the particles or know the amount of the particles if they are difficult to track?
to say readings are low and spikes are normal
completely mis directs the population from the fact that unless the particles are "detected" in the sensor
then readings will always just show the backround radiation.
so by what mecanism can the authorities say there is no risk and low levels of radiation?

these small particles have a small local radiation emmiting from them
they are not a "large radiation source" so locallity to source canot be used to determine saftey

this is not a huge lump of radiation that can be detected in concentric "rings" around the source
this is small fine particulates that have a very small diameter and a small "local" area of radiation
how can they detect the fine dust when the equipment is designed to sample the radiation emitted
NOT THE PARTICLE?

thank you for explaining tho me how this works

xploder

In relation to how high the readings are, do we have any idea how high up the particles are and if these readings are a warning sign...? What if say, you live in Michigan (as I do and my family/friends) or the east coast? What, if at all, will we have to worry about? Thanks for anyone who can answer...!

Take care all!

reply to post by XPLodER

I don't really understand your point. If the fallout is not in the air, where is it? On the ground? How does it get there?

If fallout were present in sufficient amounts to be dangerous the detectors would register it. Gamma rays, being electromagnetic radiation, travel easily through air. If increased levels of Gamma emitters were present they would not have to be in the "drawn in" air to be detected. It is, in fact, probably mostly Gamma radiation which the "civilian" detectors are recording.

reply to post by Sundowner


IMHO
the risk is that the particles settle on the ground and enter the food supply
and water. its not the radioactive "cloud" you need to prepair for
its the contamination of local food and water and the long term risks
from injesting and inhaling the particles.
its almost imposable to say where and how much of these particles will contaminate
livestock and ground water.
we found particles from cernobal is our local "mud flats" less than 1km from my house in nz
so to say these very dangerous particles cannot harm the usa is Wrong.
if they can make nz in the oposite side of the earth,
they can make the USA from Japan

the danger in this case is the particles entering your body
not from exterior exposure from radiation sources

xploder

reply to post by XPLodER

Fallout from Chernobyl made it all over the planet. But not at dangerous levels.
Nor has the Japanese situation gotten anywhere close to the emissions of Chernobyl.

Originally posted by Phage
reply to post by XPLodER

 

I don't really understand your point. If the fallout is not in the air, where is it? On the ground? How does it get there?

If fallout were present in sufficient amounts to be dangerous the detectors would register it. Gamma rays, being electromagnetic radiation, travel easily through air. If increased levels of Gamma emitters were present they would not have to be in the "drawn in" air to be detected. It is, in fact, probably mostly Gamma radiation which the "civilian" detectors are recording.

my point is
if the particles are small and are not emiting HUGE volumes of radiation
how are they detected?
is it only where a particle enters a counter?
how can radioactive particles be descided as safe?
if ONE particle was injested it would damage DNA and organs
how can this be safe?

xploder
ps thanks for tha answers

Originally posted by Phage
reply to post by XPLodER

 

Fallout from Chernobyl made it all over the planet. But not at dangerous levels.
Nor has the Japanese situation gotten anywhere close to the emissions of Chernobyl.

ONE particle if injested is dangerous
how can you talk about radio active levels
when its not the LEVEL of radioactivity, as a cumulative, but the individual particles themselves

so even "safe" levels are only safe if not injested

xploder

reply to post by XPLodER

No.
1 particle is not dangerous. Well, it does depend upon the size of the particle. The larger the particle the more nuclear disintegration. It is the accumulation which is dangerous.

Cs-137 was detected in California at levels of 0.002 mBq/m3. Not harmful if you ingest one or several.
Iodine-131 at 0.165 mBq/m3. Not harmful.
Iodine-132 at 0.03 mBq/m3. Not harmful.
Tellurium-132 at 0.04 mBq/m3. Not harmful.

Originally posted by Phage
reply to post by XPLodER

 

Fallout from Chernobyl made it all over the planet. But not at dangerous levels.
Nor has the Japanese situation gotten anywhere close to the emissions of Chernobyl.

Oh yes there were dangerous levels maybe not all over the planet but hell yes untold thousands died and who is to say when somebody in any country gets cancer it was not from Chernobyl?
The Japanese situation has not gotten anywhere close to the emissions of Chernobyl.........Yet and I mean Yet this is what this thread is all about.
You yourself called it a crisis in an earlier post, so lets keep on track here and not suggest this is a minor incident.
Because we all know its bad now, the question is how bad is it going to get, because I sure do not see a parade scheduled to celebrate the shut down of 4 maybe 6 possible melt down reactors.
Regards, Iwinder
Phage I enjoy your input in every thread I read but this time I think you are borderline casual to say the least.

reply to post by Iwinder

The topic is current radiation levels in the US. It is not what might happen in the future.
Current radiation levels are not dangerous.