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Plutonium

Actually, I think plutonium is a beta-ray emitter not an alpha emitter (I
may be wrong; haven't checked a reference work yet)--which is why you'd be
able to hold pure plutonium in your hands (it's described as being warm to
the touch because of the beta particle activity).  Of course I am not saying
it's not a lump of "Playdough"; it's harmful if you inhale a particle or if
you hold the plutonium with a skin cut or abrasion where the beta particles
could enter, but even then you probably wouldn't be harmed; beta rays don't
penetrate skin without a portal inside.  Much of the anti-nuclear movement's
efforts have been to paint plutonium as the "most deadliest element" on
earth.  Well, it's not; many chemicals from the petro industry already in
our bodies has created more deaths.  Sure it's deadly if mishandled, but
only if it enters the body in certain ways and naturally if it reaches
critical mass.  Have you heard of many plutonium deaths?  No, because there
are scientific safegaurds in place to properly handle the material.  In the
1970s, a nuclear worker named Karen Silkwood (played by Merle Streep in the
highly speculative movie version of the incident)was contaminated with the
stuff for mysterious reasons--likely it was by her own hand to call
attention to the real Kerr-McGee Plant management problems--maybe she was
just a very sloppy worker?  Well, there are not many ways to directly die
from handling the stuff if the proper safeguards are paid attention to. 
Thus, all the hub-bub over NASA's Cassini probe with it's little RTG
powerpack was so much grandstanding--besides, you can't get to the outer
solar system and beyond without some kind of nuclear power source.  (See
Glen Seaborg's book which is all about his discovery of plutonium and where
he spells out the facts and fallacies of the stuff.)

Lou Varricchio

<<< <RSKUNTER@aol.com> 11/30  2:13p >>>
In a message dated 11/28/1999 1:10:38 PM Mountain Standard Time, 
jonee@epix.net writes:

<< If  one is getting a "hot" reading from a radiometer/Geiger Counter then 
perhaps
 the scale on the instrument is misset OR one has had the misfortune to have
 revovered a piece which has some fission material embedded--perhaps 
plutonium.
  >>
Plutonium is correctly stated as an alpha emitter.  Alpha radiation will not

be detected by a Geiger Counter as the radiation will be stopped by the 
typically aluminum skin surrounding the detector.  One of the daughter 
products of plutonium decay is americium which does emit a weak gamma ray 
that could be detected by a Geiger Counter.  In fact that is precisely the 
technology which has been employed on Johnston Atoll to identify hot 
particles of plutonium contained in coral sand that emanated from the 
emergency high explosive detonation of a warhead on rocket that failed to 
launch about 1962.  A gamma detector array is utilized to identify the 
americium gamma of hot particles on a moving belt which are then selected
for 
collection with the aid of computers and mechanical actuated trays.

Regards,

Richard Kunter,  rskunter@aol.com

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