Box containing depleted uranium found

Fort Worth Star-Telegram ^ | 12/04/2007 | Star-Telegram Staff

[VRWCmember]

FORT WORTH -- A box containing depleted uranium that fell from a truck yesterday has been found. Police and emergency hazardous material workers searched an area of northwest Fort Worth overnight for the device that is used to X-ray construction welds.

A driver with a company identified as Desert Industrial X-Ray was transporting the device through the area of Blue Mound Road and U.S. 287 just before 11 p.m. when the box apparently bounced out of the back of his pickup, police said.

Lt. Kent Worley, a spokesman for the Fort Worth Fire Department, said this morning that a man found the device on a roadway and took it to his house near Meacham Airport in north Fort Worth.

The man's wife saw news reports this morning about the device and call 911, Worley said.

Worley said that the box was recovered by a fire department HazMat team, which determined that its casing was intact.

"No radiation leak occurred," Worley said. "We figured as long as it wasn't breached, it was fine.

"We were just trying to find it, but apparently this guy found it early on and he took it home."

Police and emergency hazardous material workers were searching late Monday for a box like this one provided by the Fort Worth Fire Department.

[FreedomPoster]

As the driver was getting ready to pick it up, he was heard saying “Here, hold muh beer!” and seen handing it off to a bystander.

[spunkets]

"How does this depleted uranium just fall out of a pick up truck...? "

It happens when you drive over the curbs too fast.

[BobS]

"The dose rates on contact with this source, while not immediately dangerous to life, are more than high enough to cause grave physical damage and illness in a very short period of time."

It depends. If you noticed the label on the case, the I.D. of the contents was scratched off. I know plutonium throws off alpha particles. Those can be washed off your skin. There are problems when ingested. Beta ones also from various metals. Remember that Ukrainian politician that got poisoned?

The guy that picked up that case needs to be monitored in a hospital. If he made any food with dirty hands, he might need iodine and a blood transfusion.

[MaxMax]

I keep one of these in my toilet tank.
It stays very very clean.

[rahbert]

these oil/gas field service guys just heave their
stuff onto a flatbed truck and drive hell-bent
down to Ft Worth or up to Azle/Springtown/Decatur in
Wise/Jack/Parker Co etc, tool boxes a-bouncing and
a-cutting through traffic oftimes a part of the junk collection falls onto the roadway.

they all look sound and act like Toby Keith in the
Ford Pickemup truck commercials.

jes kidding Toby..

[RoadGumby]

There is no Pu in that case. Those are shipping labels (Probably a Radioactive Yellow III) and list only the major isotopes. Depleted Uranium decays by gamma and alpha.

Alpha particles (effectively a He nucleus) are stopped short by a short barrier of air, clothing, even dead skin, and are only a hazard if inhaled or ingested (Pay heed Smokers!!!) They are Very damaging to tissue. But the case sheilds the alpha. The gamma from the DU is not. The DU is used to shield the Ir-192 source.

It is ‘non-sensical’ to say that alpha particles can be washed off. They are stopped and by capturing electrons, turn to Helium. It is the Pu or Ur that can be washed off.

Iodine is only required if exposed to radioactive isotyopes of Iodine. The idea is to fill the Thyroid with ‘clean’ iodine so it will not absorb the radioactive type.

Blood transfusions are only required in severe exposures that compromise the blood producing parts of the long bones.

Remember, this device is used, and used Safely at many facilities in a year by trained personnel. The fact that it fell from a truck doesn’t make it malignant or 0evil. It is what it is. As long as the source stayed within the ‘camera’, all is well to people involved.

[RoadGumby]

That may be true, it is late and beer is involved :^)

[RoadGumby]

Transpoting these items is governed by many regulations. The driver was obviously neglegent in securing the cargo. It really is that simple.

[Rb ver. 2.0]

Here's the Ghostbusters trap:

[Moonman62]

If it’s depleted, what’s the problem?................

Probably dropping it on your foot.

[ASOC]

Well, just thank GOODNESS it did not *explode* when it hit the pavement!

(ducks, then covers)

[AndyJackson]

One would typically use a rather strong cobalt 60 source for radiography of welds. The gamma rays penetrate the weld and make a shadow on a photographic plate. Cracks and inclusions can then be seen on the photograph indicating the quality of the weld.

Depleted Uranium would be useless for this purpose and this must be a factual error on the part of the reporter.

[RoadGumby]

Duck big! :^)

[RoadGumby]

Wrong, wrong, wrong. The DU is a shield AND the isotope used is Ir-192. It has a relatively short half-life versus C0-60. (74 days vs. 5,27 YEARS)

This makes the Ir-192 source ‘safer’ as it will decay away much faster than a C0-60 source of the same activity

[AndyJackson]

not quite. Ir 192 and Co 60 are both used. DU is commonly used as a shield in either case. There was no information provided on which radio isotope was used in what I read.

[RoadGumby]

True, the isotope used was not mentioned, but if you searched, you would find that Ir-192 is the choice. It has high energy gammas and a short half-life.

[RoadGumby]

Co-60 is commonly used at irradiators to ‘sanitize’ products (Food) or even to ‘smake’ leaded glass.

Radiography sources are not Co-60

[RoadGumby]

OK, I stand corrected. C0-60 Can be used. It Does have a strong energy gamma. However, Ir-192 is commonly used for its shorter halflife.

[VeniVidiVici]

But the box is so pretty!!

[Erasmus]

As long as the source stayed within the ‘camera’, all is well to people involved.

This thing isn't exactly the 'camera.' It's more like the 'flash.'

&;lt}B^)