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	Irradiated mail - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
		Irradiated mail is mail that has been deliberately exposed to radiation, typically in an effort to disinfect it.
		The most notable instance of mail irradiation occurred in response to the 2001 anthrax attacks; the level of radiation chosen to kill anthrax spores was so high that it often changed the physical appearance of the mail, in some cases spectacularly so.
		The United States Postal Service began to irradiate mail in November 2001, in response to the discovery of large-scale contamination at several of its facilities that handled the letters that were sent in the attacks.
	en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Irradiated_mail (292 words)

	Mail (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-01)
		Modern mail is usually organised by national services (that in recent times are increasingly being replaced by privately owned companies), reciprocally interconnected by international regulations (some of which still in their original 18th-century form, many others of which are set out by the Universal Postal Union), organisations and agreements.
		The ordinary mail service was improved in the 20th century with the use of planes for a quicker delivery (air mail).
		Mail is quite generally protected by the secret of correspondence (secretus epistulae), meaning that no letter or other document can be read by anyone other than the receiver (under U.S. law, this only applies to First Class mail).
	www.brainyencyclopedia.com /encyclopedia/m/ma/mail.html (3253 words)

	Mail - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
		Mail has been transported by quite a few other methods throughout history, including dogsled, balloon, rocket, mule, pneumatic tubes and even submarine.
		Control of private citizens' mail is called censorship and concerns social, political and legal aspects of civil rights.
		Bulk mail is mail that is prepared for bulk mailing and processing at reduced rates.
	en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Mail (3669 words)

	Mail Irradiation \| RadTown USA \| US EPA (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-01)
		Irradiation of mail kills organisms in or on the envelopes and packages, thereby protecting the recipient against possible bacterial or viral releases from that mail.
		However, mail tends to be brittle and discolored and may have an unusual smell after it has gone through the irradiation process.
		The USPS irradiates government mail and works to ensure that government workers receiving irradiated mail are not exposed to harmful levels of byproducts.
	www.epa.gov /radtown/mail-irradiation.htm (793 words)

	Health at Issue as Mail Gets Irradiated
		The move to irradiate the government mail, with doses that Day described as "much higher" than those used for either food safety or medical equipment, was made in the weeks after attacks through the mail of anthrax killed five people and sickened at least 13 others.
		Postal officials decided to irradiate mail coming to the federal government in Washington because they believed workers here were at the greatest risk for more attacks.
		In any case, plans to expand the irradiation of mail now are on hold, Day said, because of cost concerns and limited irradiation facilities.
	www.ph.ucla.edu /epi/Bioter/irradiatedmailhealth.html (636 words)

	EPA - Mail Irradiation (EPA's Radiation Protection Program: Topics) (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-01)
		In October, the deadly bacterium anthrax was found in mail sent to various news agencies, and to offices of the U.S. Congress.
		During irradiation, an intense stream of electrons (or x-rays if x-ray technology is used) strikes the mail and any anthrax spores it may contain.
		Irradiating mail at such high intensity creates new compounds, which can result in a different look, feel, and even smell.
	www.epa.gov /radiation/sources/mail_irrad.htm (404 words)

	Mail (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-01)
		Since the 19th century, national postal systems have generally been established as government monopolies with a fee on the article prepaid, often in the form of adhesive stamps.
		Mail has been transported by quite a few other methods throughout history, including dogsled, balloon, rocket, mule, and even submarine.
		After the discovery of new communicating systems and vehicles, mail lost most of its special charm in favour of more quickly connecting systems such as the telephone, and remained as a vehicle for commercial or formal documents.
	www.freedownloadsoft.com /info/mail.html (2656 words)

	washingtonpost.com
		Tractor-trailers filled with mail are back in Washington after being decontaminated at out-of-state plants, but the Office of Homeland Security has ordered the delivery delayed until recipients are warned that the process used to kill any anthrax bacteria could adversely affect some contents.
		Mail sorting was delayed when Prince George's County rejected a proposal to open a sorting facility at a former Hechinger store.
		Irradiation is intended to neutralize any additional anthrax spores and ensure the safety of the mail.
	www.washingtonpost.com /wp-srv/articles/metro/zz-mail111701.html (755 words)

	NIOSH Irradiated Mail Reports
		Irradiation destroys bacteria and viruses that could be present in the mail.
		Irradiation began in the fall of 2001; shortly thereafter federal workers began reporting health symptoms they believed were related to handling irradiated mail.
		NIOSH is continuing to address issues related to irradiated mail through participation in the Legislative Mail Task Force, convened by the Sergeant at Arms of the U.S. Senate and the Chief Administrative Officer of the U.S. House of Representatives.
	www.cdc.gov /niosh/topics/irr-mail/default.html (356 words)

	CNN.com - Congress takes new steps to minimize mail risk - February 6, 2002
		Some aides theorize that the chemicals used in the irradiation process may be reacting with components in letters and envelopes, such as glue.
		An aide to Stevens said the workers were in his Anchorage, Alaska, office where his mail was sent to be opened.
		Daschle, D-South Dakota, said that as a precaution, the postal authorities are using lower levels of irradiation and are allowing mail to air out after being irradiated for a longer period of time before distribution.
	archives.cnn.com /2002/US/02/06/irradiated.mail/index.html (423 words)

	NARA - Records Management - Frequently Asked Questions About Irradiated Mail
		Mail with postage meter strips and mail that is insured, registered, or certified are not irradiated.
		Currently all mail directed to the White House, Congress, and the Library of Congress is being irradiated.
		The contents of irradiated mail may be needed to conduct agency business and thereafter maintained in agency files for a period of time until their scheduled disposition.
	www.archives.gov /records-mgmt/faqs/irradiated-mail.html?template=print (777 words)

	Hill workers feel irritated by irradiated envelopes - Orlando Sentinel :
		In recent weeks, some congressional aides have complained that mail on Capitol Hill, all of which is being irradiated to kill anthrax and other deadly agents, is making them ill. They say the mail is causing skin irritation, headaches and nausea, as well as tingling, bleeding and the taste of metal in their mouths.
		About 80 postal workers, most of whom process mail at a suburban Maryland facility, have also reported feeling ill after handling mail irradiated for their protection.
		Mail treated this way should begin landing on desks as early as this week, congressional aides say.
	www.orlandosentinel.com /bal-te.mail20feb20,0,3110756.story (881 words)

	[No title]
		Select mail from the 202-205 ZIP codes is being irradiated as a method of sanitizing from bio-terrorism agents.
		Tests on irradiated mail show that irradiation kills any biological agent, including anthrax, that may be contained in the mail.
		In addition, irradiated mail that contains plastic, such as a credit card, a plastic window on the envelope, an item wrapped in plastic, or carbon less paper, does occasionally give off n on-lethal chemical by-products, which may not smell very good.
	www1.va.gov /vasafety/docs/GSA-Advisory-IrradiatedMail.doc (552 words)

	weights issue 2787
		Given that irradiation of food has received a lot of press lately it's not surprising that the press would print such a story, but I was still irked that such an article would be written.
		The biggest effect of food irradiation on society is that sickness and deaths due to food poisoning will drop, and the more widespread the food irradiation is, the more of a reduction in these deaths and illnesses we'll see.
		During food irradiation, the food is exposed to very high levels of radiation that are sufficient to kill just about all of the germs that might be present.
	www.weightsnet.com /weights/issue/2787 (1135 words)

	USATODAY.com - Report: Irradiated mail causing health problems (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-01)
		Mail delivery to the Capitol and congressional office buildings was suspended shortly after an anthrax-tainted letter was found in the office of Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, S.D., and traces turned up in some 15 other offices.
		Since January, when deliveries were resumed, all mail bound for Congress and federal agencies is first irradiated at postal facilities outside of Washington.
		But almost immediately, postal workers and mail handlers at federal and congressional offices began complaining about multiple symptoms, including headaches, nausea and rashes, that appeared linked to exposure to irradiated mail.
	www.usatoday.com /news/washington/2002/07/02/irradiated-mail.htm (564 words)

	NIOSH Irradiated Mail Reports: USPS
		After the mail irradiation process began (as a result of addressing the threat of biological agents being sent in the mail), workers receiving irradiated mail at the "V" Street facility began reporting symptoms such as headache, eye irritation, lightheadedness, nose irritation, chest and throat tightness, and nausea.
		The irradiated mail was delivered from the irradiation facility to tents located in the parking lot at the Brentwood Postal Tent Facility, then delivered to the "V" Street facility.
		CO was measured inside the truck that delivered mail to the Brentwood Postal Tent Facility, in the general area inside the tent, and on individual workers processing the mail containers.
	www.cdc.gov /niosh/topics/irr-mail/usps-letter.html (4773 words)

	DC Government Mail Getting Less Irradiation, But Health Problems Persist and Staffers Worry
		The irradiated mail is then sent back to Washington to be sorted at V Street Northeast and then heads to the Hill, the White House and the agencies.
		Because Congress' mail isn't initially separated from that of the executive or judicial branches, a unified decision had to be made, and the White House took the lead in determining the radiation levels, according to a government official.
		Previously the mail was taken relatively quickly from radiation to be bundled in cellophane, but now there is a much longer time frame in which the mail is allowed to air out, preventing staffers from getting whiffs of the byproducts of the radiation, such as carbon monoxide.
	www.organicconsumers.org /irrad/anthraxhillmail.cfm (1022 words)

	July 1 - Grassley on the Health Effects of Irradiated Mail (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-01)
		The legislative branch's Office of Compliance is releasing a report concluding that handling irradiated mail for substantial periods of time may cause or contribute to adverse health symptoms for a number of legislative branch employees.
		Irradiating the mail was and is a big experiment.
		Irradiating mail is an important security procedure, but we have to fully investigate its effects to ensure it doesn't present its own dangers.
	www.senate.gov /~grassley/releases/2002/p02r7-01.htm (357 words)

	Irradiating Mail to Congress May Be Making Workers Ill
		Hundreds of thousands of pieces of mail to Congress and federal agencies in Washington are sent each day to a radiation center in New Jersey for treatment before being distributed.
		The irradiation of Washington mail began last November after letters containing anthrax spores were sent to Capitol Hill, causing the Hart Senate Office Building to be closed for months.
		The report said tests of the air from irradiated mailbags and the House and Senate mail rooms detected small amounts of chemical irritants that could have been produced from the paper during irradiation.
	www.commondreams.org /headlines02/0702-03.htm (776 words)

	Online NewsHour: Sterilizing the Mail - December 3, 2001
		Irradiated mail, most destined for government offices in Washington, DC, represents a tiny fraction of the more-than 200 billion pieces of mail postal workers deliver each year.
		But there are major questions about how safe the mail can be, given the costs and limits of technology, and the desire of customers to send what they want by mail, without harm.
		But segregating mail sent by the general public poses a logistical problem, a major loophole if terrorists know certain mail won't be sanitized.
	www.pbs.org /newshour/bb/terrorism/july-dec01/sterilize_12-3.html (1162 words)

	Workers Sickened by Irradiated Mail
		At least 11 Commerce Department mail room workers were sickened Jan. 10 by irradiated mail that caused nausea, breathing problems, throat irritation and sent two to the hospital.
		Responding to the problems at the Commerce Dept., Alan Etter of the Washington, DC Fire Department said that the mail gave off a noxious gas when it was opened, and that health officials thought irradiation may have caused the paper to give off hydrocarbons.
		To kill anthrax spores in mail, irradiation machines are being calibrated to 25 kiloGrays or about 700 million chest X-rays.
	www.nukewatch.com /pathfinder/spring02/sp0217.html (641 words)

	NotDoctors.com: Serious Health Concerns: US Mail Now Irradiated
		Irradiation of the mail poses serious health concerns relating to shipments of health supplements, which is one of the reasons that we now have an option for FedEx delivery.
		That soil contamination related to the irradiation of iodine in the soil and later resulted in thyroid related health problems in regions that were downwind.
		Postal authorities say that only mail to government facilities in zip codes ranges 202-205 is being irradiated, yet we have heard that massive amounts of mail destined to areas of the Eastern US is likely being routed through the New Jersey and Ohio irradiation facilities.
	www.notdoctors.com /irradiate.html (946 words)

	Capitol Hill Workers May Be Suffering Effects Of Irradiated Mail
		A report released by the general counsel of the Office of Compliance, which oversees congressional compliance with labor laws, said office mail handlers have been reporting skin irritation, nausea and other symptoms since the post office began irradiating lawmakers' mail to kill potential anthrax spores.
		"Irradiating the mail was and is a big experiment," Grassley said in a statement.
		The U.S. Postal Service began irradiating mail to lawmakers after an anthrax-laced letter was sent last October to Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, a South Dakota Democrat, forcing the shutdown of a Senate office building.
	www.rense.com /general26/eff.htm (390 words)

	Occupational Hazards - Is the Government Trying to Hide Irradiated Mail Dangers? (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-01)
		Delivery of mail to Congress was suspended for almost three months from October to January due to the detection of anthrax spores in 16 congressional offices.
		Before resuming delivery of the mail to Congress in January, the U.S. Postal Service developed and implemented a new method to disinfect potentially contaminated mail through the use of large doses of irradiation.
		The report indicated the presence of certain irritant chemicals produced by the mail irradiation process, but OC has not been able to quantify the amounts of these chemicals in the mail.
	www.occupationalhazards.com /articles/4378 (746 words)

	Handling Irradiated Mail (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-01)
		The Postal Service is now irradiating all first-class business and letter-size envelopes being delivered to Federal Agencies in the Washington, D.C. area to protect employees from exposure to anthrax.
		Do not enclose the mail in a box or drawer, since this may prevent vapors given off by the mail from dissipating harmlessly into the air.
		Spread the mail out so it can "air out" and open in a well-ventilated area if odor or irritation is noticeable.
	safetynet.smis.doi.gov /irrmail.htm (399 words)

	CNN.com - Study finds no health risk from irradiated mail - April 24, 2002
		The irradiation process dries out paper and makes it brittle and also can release fumes from plastics.
		In addition, irradiated mail may produce odors that some individuals "can smell at levels below occupational guidelines and in some cases below air monitoring detection limits," the study noted.
		The Postal Service is continuing to irradiate mail addressed to certain federal government offices in Washington.
	robots.cnn.com /2002/US/04/24/irradiated.mail/index.html (325 words)

	The Recyclability of Irradiated Mail (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-11-01)
		Shortly after anthrax was discovered in certain pieces of mail last fall, the USPS committed to irradiating mail addressed to federal buildings in Washington, D.C. Individuals receiving irradiated mail noticed that it looked, felt, and even smelled different from non-irradiated mail, and questions were raised about whether the irradiation of mail affected its recyclability.
		While the integrity of the paper was compromised by the irradiation -- it became brittle, was easier to tear, and had reduced brightness, for example -- the impact on recyclability was insubstantial, particularly for use in manufacturing newsprint, lightweight coated or supercalendered papers, tissue products, and paperboard.
		Even though irradiated mail had degraded somewhat, there is usually not enough of it to change the chemistry of the recycling process or output.
	www.ofee.gov /textonly/whats/recirr.html (315 words)

	Hill workers feel irritated by irradiated envelopes - Orlando Sentinel : Technology
		WASHINGTON - Mail delivery in Sen. Patrick J. Leahy's office goes like this: Aides to the Vermont Democrat open the windows, slip on rubber gloves, sift through letters and then, in the most disquieting part of the daily ritual, start worrying about feeling sick.
		More than 150 congressional staffers have reported feeling sick since authorities ordered the irradiation of government mail to try to prevent a recurrence of last fall's deadly anthrax outbreak.
		That leads some investigators to suspect a problem in the irradiated mail.
	www.orlandosentinel.com /technology/bal-te.mail20feb20,0,3049113.story (824 words)

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