Non Radioactive Hazard Response - Picric Acid

["Vernig, Peter G." <Peter.Vernig@med.va.gov>]

Group,

This involves a picric acid incident.  I hope it isn't too far out of the HP
field.  I am on the hazmat team here, it's a way of getting them appropriate
radioactive spill training and providing backup for myself, I have no staff.
Anyway we had about 20 grams of dried out picric acid to deal with.  It was
successfully and uneventfully hydrated.  For those unfamiliar, picric acid
is safe when hydrated but is a touchy explosive dry.  Can anyone give me an
idea of how big of an explosion it might have been if it had exploded?

Peter G. Vernig
Radiation Safety Officer
VA Medical Center, Denver

1055 Clermont Street, Denver, CO 80220
ATTN:  RSO, Mail Stop 115
peter.vernig@med.va.gov
303-399-8020 ex 2447
FAX 303-393-5026

Any opinions expressed in this message are solely my own and do not
necessarily reflect the opinion or policy of the Denver VA Medical Center,
The Dept. of Veterans Affairs, or the U.S. Government.

"You win some.  You lose some.  And some get rained out."  Y. Berra

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