[meteorite-list] Re:Radiation Detectors/Deorbited Plutonium

From: E.L. Jones <jonee_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 09:37:32 2004
Message-ID: <3A2EB6FB.3ADDF810_at_epix.net>

Hello List, George,

I agree with your assessment, George. Remember the plutonium scattering
incident over Canada a few decades back? Plutonium from a reentering Soviet
satellite was scattered over northern Canada.

 I carry a detector in my kit but also for the radioactive minerals that I
collect-- intentionally or "un" intentionally. Locally, I have several
deposits of thorium and uranium it shows up on minerals I handle. I keep the
hotter items out of doors in an air tight bucket. (The public would shutter
if they knew how much radioactive Uranium salts were dissolved in their water
supply.)

 With all the plutonium in orbit, there is a very remote-- but realistic
danger of coming into contact with a lethal fragment. Fortunately, there are
some cheap geiger meters now on ebay, courtesy of the efforts to purge the
old stocks in the Civil Defense Shelters. Serious hunters might care to pick
one up for the trunk($20-30 range)... More serious hunters might want to know
that the Russians make a new model about the size of a pager in the $90 price
range.

Back to orbital power sources and satellite trackers, do we know how much
plutonium or other highly radioactives are in orbit and when we get an alert
of reentry... Do we have a mechanism to also alert us to the reentry of
dangerous materials. Some left over cold war tendencies might prevent us from
having full, open and timely disclosure. I do not subscribe to the Chicken
Little Society--- But when I am in the hobby/business of having people bring
me stuff they claimed to have fallen from the sky and I think it prudent to
keep that possibility in mind if handling suspicious debris.

Regards,
Elton

PS:OT but does anyone else collect radioactive minerals?
PPS BTW George, NH has some uranium deposits in Grafton NH It looks like
bright yellow chewing gum and is in fact called gumite due to its appearance.

"George Blahun Jr." wrote:

> After reading the account of the object which fell in New Hampshire I was
> wondering how many on the list carry radiation detectors as part of their
> search/retrieval kit. Although I tend to be over cautious, I regularly use
> TLD's (thermo luminescent dosimeters) of different ranges. I originally
> bought them because I live near the Millstone nuclear complex. The New
> Hampshire article should remind everyone that not all that falls from the
> sky is meteoric, nor is it necessarily innocuous.
>
> George
Received on Wed 06 Dec 2000 05:01:50 PM PST