From:

Sent:
To:
Subject:

Fraass.Ron@epamail.epa.gov
Friday, April 01, 2011 4:51 PM
PMT09 Hoc
Question

PMT desk.
We had a call from a private citizen asking about typical reverse osmosis systems and their ability to filter out
radionuclides. Most of the systems can pull metals, but I don't know about iodine or cesium. I recall about 30 years ago
about an effort to use reverse osmosis on milk. Not very successful due to milk fat and other solids.
I sent the request on to our EOC, but my assumption is that there is good data somewhere in the NRC system. The
individual would like to send some units to family in Japan to provide them better drinking water. I would appreciate any
thoughts and will share them with our Environmental Unit at our EOC. While it is not a problem here in the US, it
certainly is in parts of Japan.
Thanks,
Ron
Ronald G. Fraass, Director
National Air and Radiation Environmental Laboratory U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
540 South Morris Avenue
Montgomery, AL 36115-2601
_-Phone: 334 270-3401.

'CGelj:b)(6
FAX: 334 270-3454
Fraass.Ron@epa.gov
URL www.epa.gov/narel

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PMT09 Hoc <PMT09.Hoc@nrc.gov>.

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>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I Ron Fraass/MTG/USEPA/US@EPA, Mike Flynn/DC/USEPA/US@ EPA, Jonathan Edwa rds/DC/USEPA/US@ EPA, EOC
Manager@EPA, EOC Planning@EPA, EOC
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IEnvironmental Unit@EPA
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Cc:

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>------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I "Hoc, PMT12" <PMT12.Hoc@nrc.gov>

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I Date:

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104/01/2011 10:36 AM

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I Subject: I
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IRE: Potential Interest in Deploying RADNET Units to JapanI

Ron
Just to follow up. Our inquiry was for information only. Please do not do anything. We note that DOE has remote
monitoring capability in country and it may make more sense to deploy that rather than ask EPA to spin up resources
from US. In any case, the decision to deploy is not NRC's area of authority. Although the information would be useful,
etc.

Thanks for the information

Randy Sullivan NRC HQ PMT Director
Original
----Message ----From: Fraass.Ron@epamail.epa.gov [mailto:Fraass.Ron@epamail.epa.govj
Sent: Friday, April 01, 2011 9:50 AM
To: PMT09 Hoc; Flynn.Mike@epamail.epa.gov; Edwards.Jonathan@epamail.epa.gov; EOCQManager@epamail.epa.gov;
EOC_Planning@epamail.epa.gov; EOCEnvironmentalUnit@epamail.epa.gov
Cc: Hoc, PMT12
Subject: Re: Potential Interest in Deploying RADNET Units to Japan
Spoke with Duane and indicated the limitations of the deployable units.
I explained that the request and any decisions will need to flow through our EOC. I suggest the planning unit be in
contact with NRC's PMT unit to further discuss the options.
Deployables will need electrical power and a local operator. Filters need to be changed daily and sent to a lab for
analysis. For deployables, the only near real time data about radiation comes from the onboard compensated GM
system. No spectral data is available unlike the RadNet fixed (permanent) monitors.
Ron
Ronald G. Fraass, Director
National Air and Radiation Environmental Laboratory U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
540 South Morris Avenue
Montgomery, AL 36115-2601
Phone: 334 270-3401
FAX: 334 270-3454
Fraass.Ron@epa.gov
2

URL www.epa.gov/narel

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104/01/2011 8:40 AM

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I Potential Interest in Deploying RADNET Units to Japan

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Ron,
Thanks for talking. This is a follow-up, in part to establish e-mail contact as we discussed. The best e-mail contact for us
here is the
PMT12 e-mail (PMT12.hoc@nrc.gov), which I'm copying.
Our interest in potential deployment of RadNet units is only preliminary at this time. We will be having further
discussions here, and will let our managers know the capabilities of the deployable RadNet units. So I would not push
this much with your management just yet.
Thanks,
Duane Schmidt
Protective Measures Team
US Nuclear Regulatory Commission