Monday, May 31, 2010

Day 15 Radium Hot Springs, BC

 

Radium Hot Springs is a village of approximately 800 people situated in the East Kootenay of British Columbia, located 174 miles west of Calgary, Alberta. The village is named for the hot springs located in the nearby Kootenay National Park.

The hot springs were named after the radioactive element when an analysis of the water showed that it contained small traces of radon which is a decay product of radium. The radiation dosage from bathing in the pools is inconsequential; approximately .13mrem from the water for a half-hour bathing. The air concentration of radon is about 23pCi/L which is higher than the level (4pCI/L) at which mitigation is necessary at residences; but is also inconsequential (about .7mrem for a half-hour bathing) from a dose impact perspective.  For the sake of comparison, we all normally get about 100 mrem per year from background radiation and another 200 mrem per year from atmospheric radon.

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Views from the RV Park where we are staying in Radium Hot Springs

This morning we took a drive around the Columbia River wetlands. The clip below shows the wetlands.

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