Re[2]: Russian space probe hysteria!

["MIKE RUSSELL" <russelmj@songs.sce.com>]

John wrote:
> 
> To be fair, Pu-238 is _still_ one of the most dangerous elements known, in
> the right circumstances -- such as inhalation.  Right?

Right, but only if it becomes very finely divided and airborne. A 
chunk lying on a bench top is not an inhalation hazard. Just a a 
chunk, encased in ceramic designed to with stand re-entry into the 
earth's atmosphere is not a hazard. Read the post to the RadHealth 
listserv.

TomB

Tom Bialke
TOM@RAGS.KENT.EDU

     REFERENCE:     A PERSPECTIVE ON THE DANGERS OF PLUTONIUM
                    Center for Security and Technology Studies
                    LLNL

     Predictions of dire consequences of plutonium dispersion are greatly
     exaggerated.  The combination of sedimentation, dilution and minimum
     uptake all act to reduce the consequences.

     Plutonium oxide is primarily a radiological hazard. It would take half
     a gram to produce a acute dose by ingestion compared to compared to a
     tenth of a gram of cyanide to produce the same effect.

     20 milligrams of dust of optimal size would be required to cause an
     acute death by inhalation.  Such an exposure would require a person
     breathing air containing 20 mg/m3 for 1 hour, a scenario which is hard
     to imagine.

     The long term health effects have been studied extensively, risk
     estimates are 0.0021 cancer deaths per milligram inhaled.

     The "deadly" label comes from spin-doctors opposing anything nuclear.
     Plutonium is not named after the god of death, it's named after the 9th
     planet.  It's a transuranic element which decays by alpha emission --
     just like americium, the stuff in your smoke detector at home.

     Mike Russell