Re: [tlug] Measuring radioactivity at TEPCO Fukushima plant

["Stephen J. Turnbull" <stephen@example.com>]

Kalin KOZHUHAROV writes:

 > > should be even ng/kg. If I am right at interpreting the latest figures
 > > for Tokyo[1], 2.9Bq/kg

 > Based on my calculations and if the math was correct, at the maximum
 > permissible level for Iodine-131 (300Bq/kg),

The math is trivial: 2.9/300 = 0.97% of permissible levels, no?

Sure, you can count atoms or femtograms if you want, and it's an
interesting exercise, but what most of us really want to know is the
above.  Presumably the doctors who set those levels are not interested
in the Bq/kg in the water; they've set the levels according to what
happens to your thyroid gland if that level is exceeded for a period of
time.