[ RadSafe ] "Highly toxic" Pu found near Fukushima - what about natural U and Th?

[Clayton, Zack]

My guess is that since it is a bomb component the sound bite spreads more fear than the alternative truth for the anti's who want to spread FUD.

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu [mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Miller, Mark L
Sent: Thursday, June 09, 2011 10:15 AM
To: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) Mailing List
Subject: [ RadSafe ] "Highly toxic" Pu found near Fukushima - what about natural U and Th?

One thing that has always confused me is why Pu (an alpha emitter) can be the "most toxic substance known to man" ...NOT...  while the natural thorium and uranium decay series have several alpha-emitting radionuclides in their decay chains.  Why don't people see these radionuclides as similarly "toxic"?
(not glowing) In the Dark,
Mark Miller