Re: Skin dose from enriched uranium -Reply

[Stephen McGuire <SAM2@nrc.gov>]

Mike McNaughton wrote:

"However, I have read that Henri Bequerel received mild erythema as a result of
keeping radioactive samples in his front pocket. I don't think Bequerel ever extracted
radium, so his samples must have been uranium or thorium.  Therefore, I wonder if
this story about Bequerel is really accurate. Does anyone know the source of the
story?"

One source of Becquerel receiving burns from uranium is in Grosch and Hopwood,
Biological Effects of Radiation, page 3.  However, they reference Spear, Radiation
and Living Cells, as the source, but that book says that Becquerel received burns
from radium.  Thus, perhaps Grosch and Hopwood made an error.