During the last 4 fours, a lot of changes have taken place in Indian telecom sector. The number of fixed-line users has come down. People want to go for mobile phone whether it is necessary or not. The revolution is a phenomenon. As of end of February 2009, the mobile phone user base was 376 million. The major GSM players are: Bharti, Vodafone, BSNL and Idea, while the CDMA firms are mainly Reliance and Tata Teleservices. The time spent by people making or receiving calls on mobile phones is one the rise. At the end of December 2008, minutes of GSM mobile usage (mou) worked out to be an average 496 minutes per month. The demand for mobile phones from rural sector is also increasing greatly.
One can see the many tall mobile tower structures coming up in the rural skylines. In cities, mobile towers are erected on building tops in heavily populated areas. The electromagnetic pollution levels measured in some places are much more than the permissible levels. It is also reported that the radiation from the towers can cause many health effects, including cancer, headaches, genetic disorders, etc. None of the service providers has come forward to explain the higher radiation levels measured and the actual position to the common man.
The mobile users in the country have a right to know what are the benefits and harmful effects of such radiation exposures and what precautions should be taken to prevent any possible harmful effects.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Scrap monitoring for radioactivity - global issue
International experts from several countries said in a meeting held at Spain recently that urgent steps are needed to protect people from radioactive material that can inadvertently end up at junk and scrap yards.
In the last three years, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has become aware of around 500 events involving uncontrolled ionizing radiation sources, about 150 of which were related to sources found in scrap metal or contaminated goods or materials. A large portion of the scrap metal that is consumed annually is traded internationally, and may originate in one country and be transported long distances before being processed in another country. This is clearly a global problem that hence requires the application of a globally harmonized approach involving all stakeholders, says the IAEA official.
The regulatory approach is based on providing International Safety Standards by the IAEA (which is in place), and provide better guidance to regulators, scrap dealers, and metal recycling industries on how to deal with problems when they occur. The scope of the new protocol involves the detection and monitoring of radioactivity in the storage facilities and industries where scrap metal is collected and handled. Key elements include creating a register of ascribed companies, monitoring material at the entrance of the facilities as well as the final products and waste, and establishing sequence of actions to be taken when radioactivity is detected in the scrap.
In the last three years, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has become aware of around 500 events involving uncontrolled ionizing radiation sources, about 150 of which were related to sources found in scrap metal or contaminated goods or materials. A large portion of the scrap metal that is consumed annually is traded internationally, and may originate in one country and be transported long distances before being processed in another country. This is clearly a global problem that hence requires the application of a globally harmonized approach involving all stakeholders, says the IAEA official.
The regulatory approach is based on providing International Safety Standards by the IAEA (which is in place), and provide better guidance to regulators, scrap dealers, and metal recycling industries on how to deal with problems when they occur. The scope of the new protocol involves the detection and monitoring of radioactivity in the storage facilities and industries where scrap metal is collected and handled. Key elements include creating a register of ascribed companies, monitoring material at the entrance of the facilities as well as the final products and waste, and establishing sequence of actions to be taken when radioactivity is detected in the scrap.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Chemical toxicity of natural uranium
Uranium is a naturally occurring element, with an atomic number of 92 and density as high as 18 g/cc. Its radioactive nature was discovered in 1896 by A.H. Becqueral. Initially, it was used as a coloring agent in glass and as a homeopathic medicine. Subsequently, uranium is used as a fuel in nuclear power reactors. The uranium deposits are mined (mainly from Singhbhum area of Bihar) and the metal is produced by series of chemical and metallurgical operations.
Uranium is distributed widely in nature and is estimated to be present in the earth’s crust to the extent of about 4 parts per million. It is more abundant than many familiar elements such as gold, silver and mercury. Uranium content of sea water is 3 parts per billion. Traces of uranium are also found in both food and drinking water. The average daily intake of uranium through food and fluids is estimated to be 1.9 micro gram.
The chemical toxicity of uranium is more dominating when it is in water soluble compounds such as carbonates, nitrates, phosphates, fluorides, etc. One of the three oxides of uranium, i.e., UO3 is more soluble as compared to other insoluble oxides, viz., UO2 and U3O8. In soluble form, it can be transported by ground/surface water. Very small part of the ingested uranium is absorbed by the body which ultimately gets deposited in bone and kidney. While passing through kidney, uranium gets precipitated, thus increasing kidney burden. The assessed safe threshold for uranium in kidney is in the range of 1 to 3 microgram/g of kidney tissue. The quantity of uranium in blood that might produce a human fatality is 60 mg. The threshold limit value in blood for uranium induced proteinurea is 2.7 mg. Drinking water standards vary considerably and are reported in the range of 15 to 100 microgram uranium per liter of water.
To control the kidney burden, uranium should be kept in body fluids as a stable complex, such as bicarbonate complex, so that it is filterable in kidney and excreted through urine. That is the reason why sodium bicarbonate solution (1 to 1.5% in saline) is used for internal decontamination of uranium.
Uranium is distributed widely in nature and is estimated to be present in the earth’s crust to the extent of about 4 parts per million. It is more abundant than many familiar elements such as gold, silver and mercury. Uranium content of sea water is 3 parts per billion. Traces of uranium are also found in both food and drinking water. The average daily intake of uranium through food and fluids is estimated to be 1.9 micro gram.
The chemical toxicity of uranium is more dominating when it is in water soluble compounds such as carbonates, nitrates, phosphates, fluorides, etc. One of the three oxides of uranium, i.e., UO3 is more soluble as compared to other insoluble oxides, viz., UO2 and U3O8. In soluble form, it can be transported by ground/surface water. Very small part of the ingested uranium is absorbed by the body which ultimately gets deposited in bone and kidney. While passing through kidney, uranium gets precipitated, thus increasing kidney burden. The assessed safe threshold for uranium in kidney is in the range of 1 to 3 microgram/g of kidney tissue. The quantity of uranium in blood that might produce a human fatality is 60 mg. The threshold limit value in blood for uranium induced proteinurea is 2.7 mg. Drinking water standards vary considerably and are reported in the range of 15 to 100 microgram uranium per liter of water.
To control the kidney burden, uranium should be kept in body fluids as a stable complex, such as bicarbonate complex, so that it is filterable in kidney and excreted through urine. That is the reason why sodium bicarbonate solution (1 to 1.5% in saline) is used for internal decontamination of uranium.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Uranium deforming children of Faridkot?
Reputed News papers like Times of India should not publish stories of this kind which is definitely “misinformation” without any specific scientific evidence.
Uranium is a naturally occurring element and is present in the rock to the extent of about 4 part per million. In trace levels, uranium is also present in ground water sources. The compounds of uranium differ in their solubility. Some compounds such as chloride, phosphates, carbonates and nitrates are soluble and compounds like oxides are insoluble in water. Uranium is a radioactive element. Because of very long half life, the specific activity, i.e., radioactivity per gram is very low.
Hexavalent uranium compounds with carbonates and phosphates are most stable compounds and forms soluble compounds with water and hence are transported through soil to some distances. If there is any source of uranium in nearby areas, it is possible that soluble uranium compounds can get into ground water sources and get ingested in the body. A very small fraction of the ingested uranium gets metabolized in the body and gets deposited in bone and kidney.
Uranium is used in nuclear reactors as fuel. The fuel production facilities, such as mines, uranium concentration and purification plants discharge very small amount of uranium in well controlled and regulated manner into the environment.
It is highly improbable that the deformation or any genetic effects occurring due to the intake of uranium. Radiation is categorized as a weak mutagen. The probability of uranium causing the health effect described in the story is almost zero. However, there is a good possibility of chemical entities such as fluorides, and heavy metals such as lead, etc pollute ground water to a great extent. It is also well known that chemical pollutants cause mutation of the body cells to a much greater extent which ultimately may manifest as genetic disorder in exposed population.
Hence, it is important that complete chemical analysis of the water samples be done before coming out with any premature conclusion which will adversely influence public opinion on nuclear applications
Uranium is a naturally occurring element and is present in the rock to the extent of about 4 part per million. In trace levels, uranium is also present in ground water sources. The compounds of uranium differ in their solubility. Some compounds such as chloride, phosphates, carbonates and nitrates are soluble and compounds like oxides are insoluble in water. Uranium is a radioactive element. Because of very long half life, the specific activity, i.e., radioactivity per gram is very low.
Hexavalent uranium compounds with carbonates and phosphates are most stable compounds and forms soluble compounds with water and hence are transported through soil to some distances. If there is any source of uranium in nearby areas, it is possible that soluble uranium compounds can get into ground water sources and get ingested in the body. A very small fraction of the ingested uranium gets metabolized in the body and gets deposited in bone and kidney.
Uranium is used in nuclear reactors as fuel. The fuel production facilities, such as mines, uranium concentration and purification plants discharge very small amount of uranium in well controlled and regulated manner into the environment.
It is highly improbable that the deformation or any genetic effects occurring due to the intake of uranium. Radiation is categorized as a weak mutagen. The probability of uranium causing the health effect described in the story is almost zero. However, there is a good possibility of chemical entities such as fluorides, and heavy metals such as lead, etc pollute ground water to a great extent. It is also well known that chemical pollutants cause mutation of the body cells to a much greater extent which ultimately may manifest as genetic disorder in exposed population.
Hence, it is important that complete chemical analysis of the water samples be done before coming out with any premature conclusion which will adversely influence public opinion on nuclear applications
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