Virginia Scotchie on tue 27 aug 96
According to Clay Times the uranium oxide I have is worth alot of money.
Is it? Is it legal to sell it, ship it, or even own it? Just how
dangerous is it and does anyone have any good recipes?
T.J. Evens on wed 28 aug 96
I don't know about the legality involved with owning uranium oxide
(probably none unless you're planning on making a ceramic atomic bomb), but
I do have some idea of the dangers involved with working with it. Uranium
is generally pretty nasty stuff; it is a strong beta emitter, which means
that you don't really want to work with/around it unless you are properly
shielded. This is especially true if you have a chance of
breathing/ingesting any of it (from the dried glaze or kiln smoke perhaps).
As a reference: background radiation, what we live with all around
us, is generally considered to be in the 80-200 counts per minute range (a
"count" is one radioactive particle release). I don't know how much actual
uranium is in the compound you have, but I've measured Fiesta Ware plates
(plates from the '50's that were made with uranium glazes) that give off
radiation in the 30,000-40,000 cpm range. That's definately enough to set
off most (if not all) of the radioactivity alarms at your local nuclear
power plant.
You have to ask yourself if you really want to set up your studio
to be able to handle this stuff with the respect it deserves (remember,
anything that gets away from you will stay "hot", i.e. still emitting
radioactivity, for many many years - let's just say we'll all be dead
before it is). Personally, I work with radioactive materials on a pretty
regular basis, and I would find the highest bidder for this stuff as soon
as possible (Alrich or Sigma chemical companies might give you a bid).
If you are at a university, give your environmental health &
safety, radiation officer a call and get their advice. They might even be
willing to find a buyer for you (they'll probably be more than glad to help
you get rid of it).
Hope this helps,
T.J. Evens
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>According to Clay Times the uranium oxide I have is worth alot of money.
>Is it? Is it legal to sell it, ship it, or even own it? Just how
>dangerous is it and does anyone have any good recipes?
****************************************
T.J. Evens
Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology
University of California
Santa Barbara, CA 93106
(805) 893-4319
evens@lifesci.ucsb.edu
"there is no art without facts,
and no science without fancy."
-nabokov
****************************************
Rick Sherman on wed 28 aug 96
Regardng Unranium. I don't recommend using it. True, it creates some
beautiful yellows. But it is dangerous and will remain active for
years. My professor, Herbert Sanders, had a bottle of it in the 50's.
He made some glazes but stopped using it when its potency became
better understood.
T.J. Evens on thu 29 aug 96
Tom Buck pointed out to me that Uranium is indeed an alpha emitter, and not
a beta emitter, as I stated in my post about uranium oxide. Sorry about
the confusion there. Without belaboring this point too much, I decided to
do a little homework:
1) Uranium is primarily an alpha emitter (97-98%), but it is also
a low level x-ray emitter (2-3%).
2) There are three primary dangers from handling uranium glazes or
uranium glazed pieces.
a) Radiation leaching from the glazes and being ingested
(from dinnerware for example) or from inhaling the uranium dust involved
with the glaze compound.
b) Uranium is a heavy metal, therefore it is inherently
poisonous as such. The primary danger here is to the liver and kidneys
from ingestion (and then you have to worry about the radioactivity on top
of that).
c) The danger represented by the two primary daughter
products of uranium decay, Thorium 234 and Protactinium 234. These two
radioisotopes are strong beta emitters and gamma emitters (which means they
are what we term, "really, really nasty"). Suffice it to say that if
somebody hands you something and says, "oh, by the way, this is a gamma
emitter." You probably don't want to bring it home with you.
Legally, in the United States, you may not sell a piece that
contains uranium to an individual. You may sell it to another business (if
you let them know they are buying pottery, glass, whatever, that contains
uranium). Of course, that business is not allowed to legally sell the
piece to an individual after purchasing it from you.
Of course, you may still choose to produce and sell uranium glazed
work, but you may be held criminally liable if you do so. I sincerely
doubt that the nuclear regulatory commision is going to raid your studio if
you decide to experiment with some glazes, but you should probably inform
any potential customers (gift recipients?) what exactly it is that their
pretty orange teapot is made of.
My point with all of this is: given the obvious dangers
associated with this stuff, is it really worth getting those pretty orange
glazes? How many potters stopped using lead when the dangers involved with
its' handling came to light? Lead is candy in comparison to uranium.
Cheers,
T.J. Evens
****************************************
T.J. Evens
Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology
University of California
Santa Barbara, CA 93106
(805) 893-4319
evens@lifesci.ucsb.edu
"there is no art without facts,
and no science without fancy."
-nabokov
****************************************
Kelley M. Dean on tue 3 sep 96
Also to be considered is the fact that while it is not illegal to possess
Uranium, it is illegal to sell or purchase, so if you are lucky enough to
have it (I hear it makes gorgeous oranges), when you run out that is it.
Period. So if you do set up your studio for it, it is of limited benefit.
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> I don't know about the legality involved with owning uranium oxide
>(probably none unless you're planning on making a ceramic atomic bomb), but
>I do have some idea of the dangers involved with working with it. Uranium
>is generally pretty nasty stuff; it is a strong beta emitter, which means
>that you don't really want to work with/around it unless you are properly
>shielded. This is especially true if you have a chance of
>breathing/ingesting any of it (from the dried glaze or kiln smoke perhaps).
>
> As a reference: background radiation, what we live with all around
>us, is generally considered to be in the 80-200 counts per minute range (a
>"count" is one radioactive particle release). I don't know how much actual
>uranium is in the compound you have, but I've measured Fiesta Ware plates
>(plates from the '50's that were made with uranium glazes) that give off
>radiation in the 30,000-40,000 cpm range. That's definately enough to set
>off most (if not all) of the radioactivity alarms at your local nuclear
>power plant.
>
> You have to ask yourself if you really want to set up your studio
>to be able to handle this stuff with the respect it deserves (remember,
>anything that gets away from you will stay "hot", i.e. still emitting
>radioactivity, for many many years - let's just say we'll all be dead
>before it is). Personally, I work with radioactive materials on a pretty
>regular basis, and I would find the highest bidder for this stuff as soon
>as possible (Alrich or Sigma chemical companies might give you a bid).
>
> If you are at a university, give your environmental health &
>safety, radiation officer a call and get their advice. They might even be
>willing to find a buyer for you (they'll probably be more than glad to help
>you get rid of it).
>
>
>Hope this helps,
> T.J. Evens
>
>
>
>>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>>According to Clay Times the uranium oxide I have is worth alot of money.
>>Is it? Is it legal to sell it, ship it, or even own it? Just how
>>dangerous is it and does anyone have any good recipes?
>
>****************************************
> T.J. Evens
> Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology
> University of California
> Santa Barbara, CA 93106
> (805) 893-4319
> evens@lifesci.ucsb.edu
>
> "there is no art without facts,
> and no science without fancy."
> -nabokov
>****************************************
>
>
Kelley Dean
Kerr - M. Christine on tue 3 sep 96
2 comments re this. 1. "Radiation"does not leach out of anything. the
uranium which may leach is itself radioactive and therein lies the
problem of leaching. radiation is the emission of alpha, beta, and/or
gamma and once it has happened, that particular emission will never occur
again. 2. gamma emission accompanies just about every alpha, beta, and
whatever else emmission which occurs. some gamma is higher in energy
than others, and more immediate, therefore is more penetrating and more
likely to cause problems than others. Neither of these errors however
means that uranium compounds are any LESS of a problem than ever.
On Thu, 29 Aug 1996, T.J. Evens wrote:
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
> Tom Buck pointed out to me that Uranium is indeed an alpha emitter, and not
> a beta emitter, as I stated in my post about uranium oxide. Sorry about
> the confusion there. Without belaboring this point too much, I decided to
> do a little homework:
>
> 1) Uranium is primarily an alpha emitter (97-98%), but it is also
> a low level x-ray emitter (2-3%).
>
> 2) There are three primary dangers from handling uranium glazes or
> uranium glazed pieces.
>
> a) Radiation leaching from the glazes and being ingested
> (from dinnerware for example) or from inhaling the uranium dust involved
> with the glaze compound.
>
> b) Uranium is a heavy metal, therefore it is inherently
> poisonous as such. The primary danger here is to the liver and kidneys
> from ingestion (and then you have to worry about the radioactivity on top
> of that).
>
> c) The danger represented by the two primary daughter
> products of uranium decay, Thorium 234 and Protactinium 234. These two
> radioisotopes are strong beta emitters and gamma emitters (which means they
> are what we term, "really, really nasty"). Suffice it to say that if
> somebody hands you something and says, "oh, by the way, this is a gamma
> emitter." You probably don't want to bring it home with you.
>
> Legally, in the United States, you may not sell a piece that
> contains uranium to an individual. You may sell it to another business (if
> you let them know they are buying pottery, glass, whatever, that contains
> uranium). Of course, that business is not allowed to legally sell the
> piece to an individual after purchasing it from you.
> Of course, you may still choose to produce and sell uranium glazed
> work, but you may be held criminally liable if you do so. I sincerely
> doubt that the nuclear regulatory commision is going to raid your studio if
> you decide to experiment with some glazes, but you should probably inform
> any potential customers (gift recipients?) what exactly it is that their
> pretty orange teapot is made of.
>
> My point with all of this is: given the obvious dangers
> associated with this stuff, is it really worth getting those pretty orange
> glazes? How many potters stopped using lead when the dangers involved with
> its' handling came to light? Lead is candy in comparison to uranium.
>
> Cheers,
> T.J. Evens
>
>
> ****************************************
> T.J. Evens
> Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology
> University of California
> Santa Barbara, CA 93106
> (805) 893-4319
> evens@lifesci.ucsb.edu
>
> "there is no art without facts,
> and no science without fancy."
> -nabokov
> ****************************************
>
Virginia Scotchie on fri 13 sep 96
Thanks for all the help with my uranium oxide problem. The radiation safety
department at the University of South Carolina took it away. They told me
that it would be contracted out to a disposal company who will mix it with
concrete and bury it at the nuclear waste dump at Barnwell SC (South
Carolina is good at storing nuclear waste). The cost to the University for
disposal is 1800 dollars, and fortunately it doesnt come out of the art
departments budget.
Pl for VS Columbia, SC
Gerry Barbe on sun 29 sep 96
A follow up to the thread on Uranium Oxide from a few weeks ago.
Sorry it's so late but I had to check out a few things.
In Canada the possession limits without a license for Uranium
Oxide is presently 20kg. However, under proposed changes,
expected to be approved next year, that limit is to be reduced to
10,000Beq. which works out to about 85mg. That is the equivalent
of going from the size a box of clay to the size of 1/4 of an
aspirin.
So when I made some enquiries to the Canadian Atomic Energy Commission
after Virginia's question they came back with more questions. I think they
find it rather fascinating that a previously un-thought of group may be
affected by the changes in these regulations. They would really like more
information.
1. How many potters actually have Uranium Oxide?
2. They would really like a sample to analyze. You can do it
anonymously if you wish but there is nothing illegal about owning
Uranium Oxide.
3. Does anyone know the name of the catalog distributor mentioned
in the July/August 1996 Clay Times which supposedly listed
Uranium Oxide for sale?
If there is a problem they'd like to formulate some guideline
especially in view of the changes in licensing regulations. If
you can help write to me and I can either give you the names of
people to contact or redirect any questions you have.
Gerry Barbe - gbarbe@julian.uwo.ca
Dept. OB/GYN
University of Western Ontario
London, Ontario, CANADA
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