Re: JOHNSTON ATOLL RADIATION IS CALLED TOLERABLE

["ruth_weiner" <ruth_weiner@email.msn.com>]

It's wrong. Pure Pu is about 1.2 times denser (not "heavier") than pure
lead.  Even if you take a highly oxidized form of plutonium oxide and
compare is to lead oxide, the ratio is about 2.  I suppose you can come up
with compounds of plutonium and whose density ratio is 3/1, but that's an
irrelevant comparison.

In any case, so what?  Carbon is 6 times denser than molecular hydrogen gas.
Lead is about 17 times denser than carbon.

Ruth Weiner
ruth_weiner@msn.com


-----Original Message-----
From: Tom Savin <lexicon@hotbot.com>
To: Multiple recipients of list <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
Date: Tuesday, July 18, 2000 6:48 AM
Subject: Re: JOHNSTON ATOLL RADIATION IS CALLED TOLERABLE


>Hi radsafers:
>
>I have a question about the quote below- "(plutonium) is three times
heavier than lead" ?  How? Is this correct? It just dosen't make sense to me
with the Pb having an atomic weight of 207 and plutonium at 244.  Would
someone please explain this to me, I would be grateful.
>
>                             Thanks,
>
>
>                                 Tom
>--
>
>
>
>>"Its low levels on Johnston Atoll itself would not pose a danger to any
other
>>populated areas, and since the material is three times as heavy as lead,
>>ocean currents could never carry it, said..."
>>
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