By Dr. MARK KESTNER

I have to admit that I have now added a new item to my list of things to stay awake worrying about: a radioactive landfill a few miles from my house. I watched Demetria on Channel Four when she broke the news that you and I are living near a deposition of "low level" radioactive waste. I was startled to hear that the state environmental authorities decided it was OK to allow dumping of other states' nuclear waste into our backyard without bothering to inform local officials. Actually, I can't recall whether any local folks were told or not… at any rate, no one told me or the people that live within breathing distance of BFI landfill.


First residents living near the landfill had to put up with smelling Nashville's sewage sludge being trucked in for nearly two decades. Now they discover that they are being subjected to disposal of radioactive waste from other states.


We have been assured that there's no harm, but as one opinion poster noted earlier this week, if it is so safe, why do they have to transport it all the way from California and other states to dispose of it?


This topic caused me to do some wondering; what other sources of radioactivity am I routinely exposed to? The obvious sources come to mind; medical x-rays, CT scans and airport x-ray machines. But, did you realize that the smoke detectors and other objects in your home have tiny amounts of radioactive material?


Last year I read the fascinating true story of an overly bright but poorly supervised Boy Scout that nearly succeeded in constructing his own nuclear reactor. Among other sources, he collected hundreds of discarded smoke detectors and carefully scraped off the miniscule amounts of emitting material. As a result of his singular focus on accomplishing his objective, the tool shed in his back yard that had served as his workshop had to be dismantled by federally licensed nuclear material-handling specialists. Thankfully for all of us, he was discovered before he was able to actually start a nuclear reaction. I still think he should be eligible for a badge; I'm just not sure what the category would be.


You and I are exposed to a regular dose of radiation from decaying isotopes occurring in our natural environment. I'm told that flying across the country at 30,000 feet exposes us to naturally occurring cosmic radiation that is significant. We are also exposed to radiation from sources such as televisions, some computer monitors, ground source radon and other materials. Of course, it is one thing to realize that we have some exposure from our natural environment, and it is something quite different to learn that our local soil and water are being contaminated by the intentional transfer of radioactive material from other states that prefer to maintain their own safety.


I have been unable to find any specific measurement tools available to the general public to determine whether you are radioactive or not, but I have come across some possible indicators:


If your toast is done to a perfect golden brown, without the toaster being plugged in…


If you strip naked at the airport and the detector still goes off…


If you don't need a nightlight when you get out of bed in the middle of the night…


If you are being followed by men in black SUVs' wearing plastic suits…


And finally,


If your child invites to "show and tell" to demonstrate a Geiger counter…


… you might be radioactive.


All kidding aside, I love Middle Tennessee. I love the people, the cultural traditions, the beautiful landscapes, and the pleasant way of life that prevails. Other communities in our country have learned hard lessons after being duped into naively accepting someone else's word about the "safety" of nuclear material being dumped in their midst. It is my opinion that our community is too special to allow even a shovelful of radioactive waste potentially risk the health of our future generations.


Next week, I'll have some news about new medical tests that will be of interest to you. In the meantime, let's all work to keep our community healthy for our children and grandchildren.


Dr. Mark Kestner
mkestner@drkestner.com