http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1877987/posts
“63 counts per minute” ?..........In a volcanic area?.........
All I know is that depleted Uranium in 23mm increments, comming at you at 2700 fps is not a good thing.
>>Big Island Weekly points out that the latest anti-DU hype is based on observations in South Kona by an activist armed with a $399.00 “Gamma Scout,” Geiger counter. Allegedly the readings of “63 counts per minute” cited by Big Island Weekly indicate that “we might have a Gulf War in our backyards” and underlines “suspicion that DU is being used on Hawaii.”<<
This is hype.
But, that said, DU is about a third as radioactive as natural uranium and prone to corrosion so I would rather not have it around me.
BTW, I’m sure there is DU in South Korea - since the Soviets starting using it in 70’s most nuclear power use it either for armor or kinetic penetrators.
Typical; you could probably sell the pregnant women there an antiabortion pill and they’d all rush out to buy it.
http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/GG/ASK/radon.html ::
Subject: Radon gas in Hawaii
Is radon gas a problem in Hawaii, particularly on the big island? What causes radon gas to occur?
In answer to your questions about radon gas, “no”, it is generally not a problem for most of Hawaii. I suppose the best way to explain this is to first explain where radon gas (abbreviated as “Rn”) comes from and how it can accumulate to hazardous levels in some areas.
Rn is a radioactive gas produced by the decay of uranium. Uranium (U) occurs naturally in most rocks and natural waters, and it is the isotope 238U that decays through a series of daughter elements to Rn. The half-life of Rn is only about 3.5 days, so for it to remain at high levels in a natural system, it must be continually produced from its immediate parent isotope, 226Ra (the latter of which is also a daughter of 238U). Radon itself decays to make another radioactive isotope of the element Polonium which in turn feeds a chain of six main additional radioactive isotopes before the radioactivity stops at stable lead (Pb) 206. The longest-lived intermediate daughter isotope of Rn is 210Pb, which has a 22 yr half-life.
(exerpt)
the activist is taking reading while standing next to their
smoke alarm
Well, hell, the "mainstream" newspapers here are truly liberal fringe already: Honolulu Advertiser and Star Bulletin. No need to use the minor papers to get the wacko word out.
The radiation level of DU is low. It is an alpha-particle emitter. Alpha radiation is the weakest kind and can be blocked by a sheet of paper or by your skin.
The worst case scenario is if you ingested or breathed in the DU. If you somehow snorted a whole kilogram of DU up your nose the total radiation dose would be about 1 millisievert, the equivalent of two chest X-rays.