[VRWCmember]

Maybe it's just me, but if I found a box that looked like this, I would definitely NOT take it to my house. I would probably call the Police and have them come check it out, but would not touch it and absolutely would not even think about taking it home with me.

[sierrahome]

Looks like it’s right out of Ghostbusters.

[Red Badger]

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

[Smokin' Joe]

If this was being used as an X-ray source, I doubt it was "depleted uranium"--at least in the sense of the depleted uranium used in armor and ammunition.

Someone please correct me if I am wrong.

[do the dhue]

Does this story smell like fish to anyone besides me?

[NonValueAdded]

"Ooh, it has a radioactive sticker on it ... let me pick it up and put it next to the box of rocks that is my head," his wife imagined him saying.

[Dionysius]

Helen Thomas’ cosmetic case?

[do the dhue]

Maybe it fell off a turnip truck?

[RoadGumby]

The person who took this device home took an enormous risk. This is a ‘camera’, a radiography source. It is a stainless steel container filled with depleted Uranium (DU).

The DU, while somewhat naturally radioactive, is actually the shielding for the extremely radioactive source that is stored inside. Most commonly, the source consists of up to 100 curies of Iridium-192.

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.

There are numerous incidents on record of these sources not being stored properly in the camera or actually becoming detached and loose.

Thankfully, this source seems to have remained inside the shield and the shield case intact.

[weegee]

"But what's in the box???"

[Brilliant]

Agreed.

On the other hand, I’m not sure why it’s news. Depleted uranium is not particularly dangerous.

[Alex Murphy]

"A very sad unchristian thing just happened. A sweet old lady's car was stolen. It's a Chevy Malibu. Brothers and sisters. Please, if you've seen this car, just call this toll free number."

[mylife]

Whadda ya got in the trunk?

[Trajan88]

How does this depleted uranium just fall out of a pick up truck...? I bet that thing weighs more than just a simple pound or two.

[SkyDancer]

“Depleted” ... that should have been the first clue ... depleted uranium is not radioactive ... it’s depleted .... it has the density of lead and harder than anything .... it’s used for armor piercing .....

[El Gato]

Maybe it's just me, but if I found a box that looked like this, I would definitely NOT take it to my house

Well, lots of stuff has similar marking, and uses radioactive material, some of which you probably have in several locations in your house.

I'm a little confused, the story I heard on the local (Dallas-Ft. Worth) radio station, WBAP, said it was Iridium, not depleted uranium. And to my way of thinking, that makes more sense, since DU is less radioactive than natural uranium. I also found this Argonne National Lab document (pdf file) indicating that Iridium 192 (Iridium has 15 radioactive isotopes) "is used industrially as a radiotracer in the oil industry and in gamma radiography to identify flaws in metal castings and welded joints."

[toddlintown]

I’d hook it up to my X-Box and see what happens.

[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.

[MaxMax]

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

[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.