Thorium Mantles?

Errr... ummm... beta particles, I meant beta particles.

I guess that they must be very low energy beta particles, because if they were able to penetrate the glass, they'd never have gone on the market, even in the 70s.

Reply to
John Nickum
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So called "traser" key fobs and watches have tritium contained in phosphor lined glass vial, the beta particles as you say don't make it out unless you break the glass

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Reply to
Andy Burns

I'll let you off :-)

Yes, low energy, 0.018590 MeV. Cannot even penetrate skin, so only dangerous if inhaled or ingested. The difficulty is that tritium is hard to contain due to its propensity for diffusing through solids such as plastics, rubber and even some steels.

Tritium decays to helium-3, which is non-radioactive, so you don't have to worry about other decays down the line. Contrast with thorium, for example, one of whose decay products is radon.

Steve S

Reply to
Steve S

Ah. It would also be a waste of a good Trimphone dial.

Owain

Reply to
Owain

I was told that the radiation detectors at Sellafield/Windscale were sensitive enough to trigger an alarm if somebody went past them carrying a pack of cigarettes - the potassium nitrate in them from (a) tobacco being fertilised and (b) being added to ensure they don't go out when lit being radioactive enough. I could never find a source for that story, 'though, despite a lot of searching. It seems unlikely, if you read the article in the reference URL below.

The natural radioactivity of the normal isotopic mixture of potassium on Earth is interesting - it being the major source of radioactivity within the human body.

See

Cheers,

Sid

Reply to
unopened

I had a bunch of my mantles tested at a nuclear lab. Some were radioactive, some weren't; they documented them, and were very nice about it.

Trouble was walking out through the exit -- the contamination alarm went off, security guards came out, explaining to do...

Thomas Prufer

Reply to
Thomas Prufer

Following up on the above, buy a pack of Lo-Salt, which is about 66% Potassium Chloride. Its radioactivity (due to the potassium 40) will be significantly above background levels. See here

Cheers,

Sid.

Reply to
unopened

Since Radon gas is emitted from granite, it collects under floors in Cornwall, and you can get a grant to fit an extractor fan.

I believe the highest concentration found was in the toilets of a health centre.

Reply to
Jim Scott

This could well be of interest for those wondering about whether they be exposed to a radon hazard:

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Reply to
Chris Bacon

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had a look and us be fine. Mind you us don't live in Cornwall.

Reply to
Jim Scott

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maps are a bit blurred, but Dartmoor would be the place to pick up radioactive rocks, if I'd wanted to follow Dave Fawthrop's suggestion.

It's a bit difficult to make out the town names in the hotspot. I can make out Chagford towards the north east of the hotspot, then south west from there on the B3213, I can make out Postbridge in the middle and Princetown towards the south west end. Places where you'd need to invest in underfloor extraction fans for sure.

Reply to
John Nickum

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