[meteorite-list] Posting for Randall Gregory

From: Michael L Blood <mlblood_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sun, 30 Sep 2007 19:33:48 -0700
Message-ID: <C325AA9C.FAA2%mlblood_at_cox.net>

  
This morning we were sorting through the stones I collected from the
Carancas crater and I had a small 1/2 kilogram bottle of very fine grained
meteorites that bought from an old woman who patiently collected these
grains for 3 days using a car speaker. She used the magnet on the speaker
cone sifting through the dirt surrounding the crater.
  
 
  
As my wife started to pour the grains onto a paper towel, she immediately
said that here noise started to burn. She described it like a thousands
little bees stinging the inside of her nose. I put my nose to the bottle and
sniffed a little bit and felt the same sensation but more in my eyes and to
a lesser degree. Later that day, a friend of ours who was visiting, and
after showing here the meteorites, she said "I'm getting a headache". and we
never told her about the irritation.There is a very good possibility that
the vaporization or release of microscopic dust grains into the air was the
cause of the complaints. It appears the effects have a lasting effect since
my wife is still complaining of irritation. Her exact words are 'this dust
has something and I think we need to store these outside'. My wife's
occupation is a research biologist and said that she felt the same thing
when opening bottles of sulfuric acid.
  
 
  
My wife is very sensitive to chemicals, smoke and fumes. I can't smoke
around her because it makes her ill and there is no way I can hide my habit
from her. I had less of a reaction because I am a smoker and I'm more
tolerant of smoke irritation. She's a human smoke detector par excellence.
Tonight, she is complaining of nose, eye, and throat irritation. Anyway, it
appears there is something in the meteorite that is acidic and irritating to
mucus membranes. Tomorrow, I want to buy a PH tester and see what the
results are. I'll try to get the results of the testing that the health
officials performed on the people living close to the crater. I'll post the
results of my research and testing.
  
 
  
 
  
Greatly appreciated,
  
 
  
Randall
Received on Sun 30 Sep 2007 10:33:48 PM PDT