[Crusader21stCentury]

Hydrazine is extremely toxic; it is absorbable through the skin.

[SSN558]

"Hydrazine is extremely toxic; it is absorbable through the skin."

To be more exact Mono Mythel Hydrazine as used on the OMS engines and numerous pocket rockets on the shuttle. The white ammonia smelling vapor from Hydrazine is kool-aid compared with MMH. One would be suprised how this stuff can survive inside of small machinery parts weeks after a fire.

[hole_n_one]

Per MSNBC and the FNC, "souvenir" finders are now seeking medical attention by the dozens.

Everything from burnt hands to feeling "sick".

[muffaletaman]

This is all total baloney.

Any volatiles in contact with any part of a metal piece has been COMPLETELY vacuum cleaned by a combination of the high temperatures the parts experienced due to atmospheric drag - and the low pressure due to the near-vacuum found at 200,000 feet.

These are conditions similar to those we use to ultra-clean parts for processing in one of our manufacturing steps - we use a little higher vacuum, but these parts were subjected to MUCH higher heat AND the mechanical impact of the atoms of the atmosphere - after all the parts were heated by friction (impact) and not radient heat as in an oven.

These warnings are a canard to dissuade people from taking souvenirs. Actually there is NO toxic danger from any of the debris that was not totally vaporized on its way down.

Likewise, there is no clue in how the parts landed on the ground. Thus the "crime scene" treatment is rediculous.

There IS evidentiary value on knowing Where each part landed . Related parts that are closer together versus those that are separated by greater distance can be used to deduce the sequence of breakup and rate of dispersal, which may be of forensic help in backward engineering the destruction and determining the sequence of failure.

THUS all they really need to know for each part is, exactly where did it land. Other than that, whether it landed right-side up, left handed, skady-whumpus or whatever was determined by pure random chance and is devoid of significant information.