ret on thu 13 nov 97
I talked to the lab who supposedly checked for radiation at the U of
Alberta in 1968. No such lab, no equipment until the 1970. Draw your own
conclusions.
As a bit of trivia re uranium, the man who runs the radiation satefy
program told me that the geiger counter reacted pretty wildly on old sinks
and probably bathtubs and I sent that bit of info on to Monona.
Her reply is included below>
ELKE BLODGETT email: eiblodge@freenet.edmonton.ab.ca
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Monona Rossol <75054.2542@compuserve.com>
To: ret
> schumaker mentioned that the geiger counter will actually react when he
> tests old sinks!!!!! of all things, and probably bathtubs too. >
Interesting. Why would anybody have used uranium in such things as >
bathtubs and sinks? care to look into this? <
Don't have to. I already know. Many porcelain materials back then were
made with feldspars that contained quite a bit of naturally occurring
potassium-40. These same porcelains were used for teeth as well. And if
that was not enough, they added uranium salts to dentures because it made
the teeth look more natural and fluorescent. You could set off a geiger
counter with a smile.
Uranium was also used in fluorescent and iridescent glass. Thorium was
used in eye glasses. and on and on.
Monona
Evan Dresel on mon 17 nov 97
Strange statement below, "Many porcelain materials back then were
made with feldspars that contained quite a bit of naturally occurring
potassium-40."
Isotopic fractionation of potassium in nature is exceedingly small and
rarely occurs at all according to my isotope geology book. What that means
is that any potassium-bearing substance will have the same proportion of
potassium-40 in it. Back then, now, whenever, potassium feldspars contain
the same proportion of radioactive potassium-40 to non-radioactive
potassium. I suppose I should qualify that -- the amount of potassium-40
has been declining slowly and steadily since the formation of the solar
system. Very slowly, otherwise it would all have decayed billions of years
ago. The difference between the time people started making pots and now is
miniscule.
It seems that someone is trying to imply that somehow evil or ignorant
people "back then" were poisoning us with extra potassium-40. I disagree.
If you use Custer or any other potassium feldspar in your clay or glaze you
use radioactive materials. If you use most any clay except pure kaolin in
your clay body you use radioactive materials.
By the way "light salt" contains potassium chloride instead of some of the
sodium chloride. It's radioactive but healthier than regular salt for some
people. Common plant fertilizer is radioactive. If you live in a brick
house you get a much higer radiation dose than if you live in a wood one.
If you live in "Mile High City" Denver you get a much higher radiation dose
than if you live where I do at 600 feet but next to the biggest nuke site in
the USA.
-- Evan Dresel pedresel@3-cities.com who lives in an overcast basin but gets
radio reports of the sunny weather all around.
At 07:27 PM 11-13-97 EST, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>
>I talked to the lab who supposedly checked for radiation at the U of
>Alberta in 1968. No such lab, no equipment until the 1970. Draw your own
>conclusions.
>
>As a bit of trivia re uranium, the man who runs the radiation satefy
>program told me that the geiger counter reacted pretty wildly on old sinks
>and probably bathtubs and I sent that bit of info on to Monona.
>
>Her reply is included below>
>
>ELKE BLODGETT email: eiblodge@freenet.edmonton.ab.ca
>
>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>From: Monona Rossol <75054.2542@compuserve.com>
>To: ret
>
>
>
>> schumaker mentioned that the geiger counter will actually react when he
>> tests old sinks!!!!! of all things, and probably bathtubs too. >
>Interesting. Why would anybody have used uranium in such things as >
>bathtubs and sinks? care to look into this? <
>
>Don't have to. I already know. Many porcelain materials back then were
>made with feldspars that contained quite a bit of naturally occurring
>potassium-40. These same porcelains were used for teeth as well. And if
>that was not enough, they added uranium salts to dentures because it made
>the teeth look more natural and fluorescent. You could set off a geiger
>counter with a smile.
>
>Uranium was also used in fluorescent and iridescent glass. Thorium was
>used in eye glasses. and on and on.
>
>
>Monona
>
>
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