Sr-90 Dirty Bomb: Radiation Levels & Health Effects

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the hypothetical scenario of a dirty bomb involving Strontium-90 (Sr-90), focusing on the potential radiation levels, health effects, and the feasibility of the scenario presented. Participants explore various aspects of radiation exposure, health risks, and the implications of using Sr-90 in such a context.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions the feasibility of using eleven pounds of Sr-90, suggesting that it would result in extremely high temperatures and radiation levels.
  • Another participant seeks a more reasonable quantity of Sr-90 for a dirty bomb that would still create a hazardous area and cause health issues.
  • Concerns are raised about the actual dispersal of Sr-90 if the building were to collapse, with one participant noting that rubble could limit exposure.
  • A participant provides specific data about the radiation characteristics of Sr-90 from a radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG), including concentration and dose rates, and questions the accuracy of the mass assumption.
  • Several participants express skepticism about the organizer's lack of nuclear physics experience, questioning the appropriateness of their conference on the topic.
  • Another participant discusses the theoretical power output and specific activity of Sr-90, suggesting that a 40,000 Ci RTG would correspond to a smaller mass of Sr-90 than initially assumed.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the feasibility of the scenario, the amount of Sr-90 that would be reasonable for a dirty bomb, and the potential health effects. There is no consensus on the specifics of radiation levels or health impacts, and the discussion remains unresolved.

Contextual Notes

Participants rely on varying assumptions about the properties of Sr-90 and the scenario's parameters, leading to differing conclusions about radiation exposure and health risks. There are unresolved questions regarding the actual mass of Sr-90 in the proposed scenario.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to those studying radiation safety, nuclear physics, or emergency response to radiological threats.

4460
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For a conference I am running, I have concocted the following scenario.

Evil terrorists have 11 lbs of Strontium-90
Good guys drop 4 bombs on the building housing the Sr-90, collapsing it and distributing the material

I know this will require rough numbers, just please help as you can

what would the likely radiation levels be at ground Zero?
How about at a given range (1 km)?
Would anyone die of radiation poisoning in the immediate area, if so, within what radius
what lasting health effects would be observed in the local population?

Thanks for any help you can give,

CC
 
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Eleven pounds? Holy smokes! If I did the math right, eleven pounds in a sphere will have an equilibrium temperature of over 1500K - well above the melting point. It's well over a megacurie.
 
hmmm...
i'm looking for a reasonable amount for a dirty bomb, something that will make maybe a km radius around the site be unsafe for a while, and cause some radiation illness/deaths

any suggestions as to a more reasonable amount for "terrorist possession"?
 
Bump? After 12-1/2 hours (including night in Europe and the Americas) and only two other messages in the section?

I'm sorry we're not doing your work for you fast enough to suit you.
 
4460 said:
hmmm...
i'm looking for a reasonable amount for a dirty bomb, something that will make maybe a km radius around the site be unsafe for a while, and cause some radiation illness/deaths
Most studies on the physiological effects of dirty bombs show that they aren't very dangerous at all, with one study I remember saying it was "comparable to smoking several packs of cigerettes" or eating lots of ice cream.

If the building collapsed, wouldn't that mean dispersal would be pretty minimal? Thousands of pounds of rubble would cover the isotope grains that are probably already in a container.

Sorry not to offer help towards what you're looking to know.
 
I am thinking the radiation source will be the SR-90 from a RTG reactor used in russian nuclear lighthouses-the reactors are fueled by SR-90, contain "5kg of radioactive material", which is why I assumed it was 5kg of SR90. The other information given on the RTG is as follows

Concentration of strontium 90 1,500 TBq, or 40,000 curies
Temperature on the surface, centigrade 300-400 degrees
Exposition dose rate at the distance of 0,02 to 0,5 metres 2,800-1,000 R/h

Does this sound accurate given a mass of 5kg? If not, is there any way I could backtrack (with no nuclear physics experience) to find the actual mass of SR90 in the RTG's?

Thanks again for all your help...
 
Let me get this straight - you're running a conference on this topic yet have no nuclear physics experience? Who are the attendees? Do they know?
 
daveg360 said:
Let me get this straight - you're running a conference on this topic yet have no nuclear physics experience? Who are the attendees? Do they know?

Ehh, he's running a gaming "conference" i bet...or he was.
 
Sr90 theoretical max is about 2.3Watts/g, typically say about 0.8W/g
specific activity of Sr90 is 140Ci/g
A 40,000Ci RTG would be about 200W = 300g of Sr90.
 

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