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[OM] USPS Irradiation

Subject: [OM] USPS Irradiation
From: "Charles Monroe" <chasmnro@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2002 15:01:41 -0500
More on the subject.
Chuck Monroe
        "Warranties do not cover anything that
will break." (Capt. Wil.)

----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, January 09, 2002 10:21 AM
Subject: [camera-fix] CFA warning




LAS VEGAS--Jan. 7, 2002--The CompactFlash
Association (CFA) announced
today that semiconductors used in electronic
systems, including
CompactFlash(TM) and CF I/O cards, would be
irreparably damaged if
subjected to the irradiation process that was
being used by the U.S.
Postal Service (USPS) to sanitize the mail. Such
damage will not only
cause loss of data stored on the cards, but the
cards will no longer
be operable.

To protect public health and ensure confidence in
the US Mail system,
the USPS in October began using electron beam
irradiation systems to
sanitize certain mail streams against anthrax and
other possible
biological agents. Testing has confirmed that
these systems, which
operate in the range of 55 kGy, damage not only
semiconductors, but
other goods as well, including pharmaceuticals,
contact lenses,
biological samples, and photographic film. The
following statement
appears on the USPS website: "The Postal Service
is working with the
mailing industry to develop procedures to ensure
that sanitization of
the mail will not damage sensitive items in the
mail. Sanitization
technology is currently being tested on a wide
range of film
products, digital and magnetic storage devices,
laboratory samples,
food and plant products, and "smart" credit cards
with embedded chips
to ensure that all business mail can be safely
processed through the
postal system."

While it is possible that the USPS is no longer
passing targeted mail
streams though these e-beam systems, the CFA is
alerting all users of
CompactFlash cards of the inherent risk of damage
to CompactFlash
cards should they pass through an e-beam
irradiation system. Other
delivery services have no plans to use irradiation
systems, but users
should remain alert for any changes in the future.

The CFA will continue to work with USPS and others
to develop
shipping procedures that will ensure the safety of
CompactFlash and
other semiconductors through the mail.

While e-beam irradiation systems for the mail will
damage
CompactFlash cards, the x-ray scanners at airports
will not. As has
always been the case, passing CompactFlash cards
through the carry-on
or check-in baggage x-ray systems used at airports
has no affect on
CompactFlash cards.

A CFA representative will be available to discuss
these issues in CFA
booth 16637 at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES
2002) in Las Vegas,
Jan. 8-11, 2002.
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