Martin Howard on fri 12 jan 01
Martin Bacon, one of my Friend on Quaker-B writes:-
radioactivity, I did a project on uranium and its fission products between
Cambridge entrance and S levels (i.e. what follows is hardly authoritative
but I actually did the experiments). As I recall, uranium oxide dissolves
very
nicely in nitric acid to form uranyl nitrate (the first step in my
separation process). Rain contains nitric acid (formed partly from the
nitrogen oxides in car exhausts and partly from the effects of lightning on
the atmosphere) so any uranium oxides left around in the Balkans will
eventually make their way into the water table.
The difference in attitude of governments to what happens on our doorsteps
and what happens a long way away is considerable. Eight years ago I had the
job of decommissioning a small factory which contained small quantities of a
number of radionucleides. Stuff that had been bought years before from a
chemical supplier off the shelf and with no problems suddenly required
complicated and expensive processes for disposal, costing thousands of
pounds. I can remember when thorium oxide was the main ingredient of
luminous
gas mantles. All of a sudden it was a dangerous substance which had to be
secured at great length before it could even be taken away. But it's OK to
fire large lumps of uranium at foreigners and then leave it lying around.
Against this it is worth pointing out that the element potassium contains
one
radioactive isotope that occurs naturally, and that the average human body
dose due to this stuff can be around 200 microcuries - that's inside the
body
don't forget, and continuous exposure. Anybody taking tablets from the
health
food shop containing high levels of potassium is causing their stomach and
intestine to receive an above average radiation dose for a period of hours.
Since we have evolved with this background, our mechanisms of protection of
genetic material and tissue repair can clearly cope with it, though I wonder
how long it will be before an enterprising manufacturer starts selling
radiation-free potassium tablets. The effects of inhaling particles of
uranium compounds are likely to be more severe and local, but of course the
stuff is toxic as well as radioactive. >
Now we all use K compounds in our glazes. We need it to lower melting
points. Is there any danger from that along the lines Martin Bacon suggests
above?
Martin Howard
Webb's Cottage Pottery
Woolpits Road, Great Saling
BRAINTREE, Essex CM7 5DZ
England
martin@webbscottage.co.uk
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