Hard water - not filtered by water board?

[Chris Hogg]

Radon levels in Scotland are generally low. Only in the mountains west of Aberdeen is it really significant.

and scroll down to the maps.

And even then, airborne radon is only a concern if you smoke. The risk of getting lung cancer from airborne radon in homes if you don't smoke is barely significant*.

But then you always were scared shitless beyond all reason at the mere mention of radiation, weren't you, Harry.

*Wade Allison (Radiation and Reason, 2009) pp. 123-126, citing Darby, S. et al. (2005), 'Radon in homes and risk of lung cancer: collaborative analysis of individual data from 13 European case-control studies'.

[Chris Hogg]

A quote from Wade Allison. p.126 " At a practical level, it is plain that, in the absence of smoking, the health risk from radon is so small that it cannot be demonstrated, even in a thorough Europe-wide study".

The risk from water-borne radon is also negligible.

[Roger Hayter]

That is true now. But was not true before dairy farmers routinely corrected the geographical deficiency. See Derbyshire neck.

[John]

I'd rather it were insignificant.

[Max Demian]

There's plenty in seaweed, but this isn't part of a normal English diet.

I didn't know farmers fed dairy cows iodine-rich feed. When did this start? Presumably at one time all they ate was grass and clover.

[Clive Arthur]

A conductor (water) moving in a magnetic field?

Cheers

[James Wilkinson Sword]

[Roger Hayter]

It started when they realised cows in Derbyshire (etc.) thrived better with iodine supplements. I imagine the iodide was an additive, used since some time early in the twentieth century. Now dairy produce is our main source, especially in low iodine parts of the country. I think we have been feeding cows with something other than grass in winter for thousands of years. Nowadays mainly commercial feeds and root crops. See mad cow disease.

[James Wilkinson Sword]

Contrarywise. I found the old style ones leaked more, usually where the electricity went in at the bottom. There was a rubber seal around the element where it was bolted to the framework. The new flat element cordless kettles don't seem to suffer form this problem.

[James Wilkinson Sword]

My dishwasher annoyingly has a bright red warning light when the salt softener has run out. I painted over it.

[Tim Streater]

Thank you, that may help.

[Clive Arthur]

I have seen (many years ago) some industrial permanent magnet units, larger bore than the domestic ones, but splitting the flow into several parallel smaller bore pipes.

There seems to be some evidence that they work, although it's not conclusive. The 'wire round the pipe' electronic jobbies don't work.

Cheers

[James Wilkinson Sword]

What kind of antique newsreader do you have? I jut clicked on it and it worked. You don't need arrows to recognise a URL.

[James Wilkinson Sword]

There's no need for a cure, as the URL as originally posted wasn't split. They only get split when people have their wrap turned on AND their newsreader is stupid enough to wrap a single word (or URL).

[James Wilkinson Sword]

They should, as presumably they create a magnetic field just like the permanent magnets do.

[James Wilkinson Sword]

Do you know it works? Have you noticed less scale anywhere?

[The Natural Philosopher]

Well lets say uyou ae more likely to get testicular or ovarian cancer from all te birth control pills peed put by people which doesn't get 'filted by the water board' either.

Or bowel cancer from a vegan diet etc. etc.

[James Wilkinson Sword]

What has smoking to do with Radon gas?

[James Wilkinson Sword]

Is this why homes are made with vents in the side of the underfloor, making everything get damp?

[James Wilkinson Sword]

Only if you drink sewage.