Re: Radioactive Minerals Scare

["McClure, D. A. 404/371-1971" <McClure-DA@Mindspring.com>]

There is no hope.

In 1970 I went to Georgia Tech as a fresh Ph.D. post doc. Tech had a nice
5 Mw reactor for using thermal neutron capture to populate low energy
nuclear states. I did gamma-gamma coincidence studies. 

The reactor went down for three months of upgrade and maintenance the
summer after I got there. I moved my gamma-ray studies equipment to the
basement of the physics building and purchased did some studies of
radioactive materials in micro-curie amounts we obtained from Oak Ridge.
The theoretical physicists -- cryogenics, biophysics, quantum mechanics
-- on the 4th floor brought forth a petition to have my "dangerous
experiment" removed from the physics building because my
micro-currie amounts ob beta and alpha emitters were going to contaminate
the ventilation system and give them all cancer. I am serious. The
department chairman and finally the dean of the School of Science
determined that for 3 months my experiment would be permitted in the
basement of the building.

These were educated science doctorate degreed people. I couldn't believe
it. The event still makes me chuckle when I think about it.

Hope? Maybe after three or four more generations of experience with the
stuff.

don

At 09:16 PM 2/17/01 -0600, you wrote:

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> Yikes!  The British court is outlawing radioactive minerals. 
> Hope the 
> courthouse isn't made of granite!   I had an experience with a
> show & tell in 
> my daughter's school.  I had them go over their mineral collection
> with a GM, 
> and then explained what they found.  That night, one of the mothers
> called me 
> to ask why did I have URANIUM (ohmagod!) in the classroom.  I was
> able to 
> calm her down, but the amazing thing is this woman is a PhD
> epidemiologist at 
> the University of California.  Is there any hope at all?
>
> In a message dated 2/16/2001 2:08:31 PM Pacific Standard Time, 
> radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu writes:
>
> > Radsafe:
> > 
> > An interesting news article and link is copied below about a major
> museum 
> > in 
> > England facing what could be a sizable fine over radioactive
> minerals on 
> > display.  This might appropriately be filed under: "Stop
> the world, I want 
> > to 
> > get off". It will be interesting to see the size of the fines
> imposed, and 
> > learn what levels of radiation exposure and to whom, caused this to
> be a 
> > violation of  Health and Safety Executive (HSE) regulations in
> England.
> > 
> > Stewart Farber, MS Public Health
> > Consulting Scientist
> > Public Health Sciences
> > 172 Old Orchard Way
> > Warren, VT 05674
> > 
>
> [snip]

|Don McClure 404/371-1971 FAX: 503-907-5526|
|   1209 Hopkins Ter, Atlanta, GA 30324    |