Double in background radiation - US, East Coast, Long Island

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Nicker
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Double in background radiation - US, East Coast, Long Island

Post by Nicker »

Approximately 20 minutes ago, my little PM1610 Polimaster starts with its audio and visual alarms.
Background radiation for me has always been 009-010 µrem.
Now it seems to have stabilized around 015-018 µrem.

I’m sure it could be detector malfunction, but then I Googled and there seems to be a couple articles published about Fukushima radiation reaching the coastlines in the last couple hours.

http://netc.com seems to show some abnormal spikes in radiation for the CT and NY (on Long Island) detectors.
55CPM/65CPM

Do you think double the background radiation going to be the new norm for a while?
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Richard Hull
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Re: Double in background radiation - US, East Coast, Long Is

Post by Richard Hull »

No! This is a non-issue, but more of a general amusement issue. Changing winds due to major weather patterns, melting snow and heavy rains can easily double background for a bit and very long, hot, dry spells can lower background. I would think a quadrupling of background might be of some moderate interest, but still not very dangerous.

Virtually all such anomalies are due purely to NORM Radon and its daughters.

We had another post last year regarding this that put all of this on Fukushima and no one who credibly monitored here saw any increase over normal background at all.

As bad as fukushima was, it will not mean beans to anyone in the US.

Anyone want to go another round and report?

Richard Hull
Progress may have been a good thing once, but it just went on too long. - Yogi Berra
Fusion is the energy of the future....and it always will be
The more complex the idea put forward by the poor amateur, the more likely it will never see embodiment
Nicker
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Re: Double in background radiation - US, East Coast, Long Is

Post by Nicker »

I came to revise!

You're 100% correct Richard, it's just strange to see backgrounds double for an hour or so due to weather conditions!

Hopefully counts will stay low forever :]
JakeJHecla
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Re: Double in background radiation - US, East Coast, Long Is

Post by JakeJHecla »

No increase here in Boston. Took a look at my Radex 1212BT dosimeter logs, and there has not been a significant increase.
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Richard Hull
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Re: Double in background radiation - US, East Coast, Long Is

Post by Richard Hull »

I did a quick check over 10 minutes and got 51CPM outside. This is totally normal here at my meaasuring area out back.

Richard Hull
Progress may have been a good thing once, but it just went on too long. - Yogi Berra
Fusion is the energy of the future....and it always will be
The more complex the idea put forward by the poor amateur, the more likely it will never see embodiment
Jerry Biehler
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Re: Double in background radiation - US, East Coast, Long Is

Post by Jerry Biehler »

Nicker wrote: I’m sure it could be detector malfunction, but then I Googled and there seems to be a couple articles published about Fukushima radiation reaching the coastlines in the last couple hours.
Yes, there have been reports of cesium being detected in the sea water. Around 5Bq per cubic meter of sea water. So you would pretty much have to drink 3 cubic meters of sea water to ingest the equivalent of one banana. Your not going to be detecting that with a geiger counter.
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