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Cobalt 60 isn't particularly dangerous. I remember holding it in my bare hand in chemistry lab (encouraged by the teacher). Also, I'm never worried about when
by ScotterC 13y ago
Cobalt 60 isn't particularly dangerous. I remember holding it in my bare hand in chemistry lab (encouraged by the teacher). Also, I'm never worried about when this stuff goes missing because it's so easy to detect to the smallest measurement - which means it's usually found quickly as was the case here.
Now if this was Cesium 137 that would be a wholly different matter
- emillon 13y ago> I remember holding it in my bare hand in chemistry lab (encouraged by the teacher). At a (not so remote) time, students used to put their hands into mercury to demonstrate that it is liquid but not wet.
- ScotterC 13y agoYea. And unlike cobalt 60, mercury doesn't decay. Hard to get that stuff out of your system.
- kps 13y agoFortunately, it's also hard to get that stuff into your system. Elemental mercury is usually quite harmless if touched or swallowed. It is so thick and slippery that it usually falls off your skin or out of your stomach without being absorbed.¹ ¹ http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002476.htm http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002476.htm
- oakwhiz 13y agoNot all mercury is pure, though. Organic mercury compounds exist which behave similarly to elemental mercury but they have a greater health risk associated with them.
- tedunangst 13y agoAFAIK it's not absorbed through skin, so that's not usually a problem as long as you don't aerosolize it. If you drop the droplet onto the floor, that's when the fun begins.
- nate_meurer 13y agoCobalt-60 is more dangerous than Caesium-137 in every way except for chemical reactivity. Any significant amount is extremely dangerous. Don't be fooled: what you held in your hand was a vanishingly small source. This little pdf has some metrics for comparison: orise.orau.gov/files/reacts/radiological-terms-quick-reference.pdf Edit: I haven't the brains to make the link above active, but if you search for the link on google it will take you there.
- ScotterC 13y agoLinked failed. Repost please.
- Samuel_Michon 13y agohttp://orise.orau.gov/files/reacts/radiological-terms-quick-reference.pdf http://orise.orau.gov/files/reacts/radiological-terms-quick-...
- ScotterC 13y agoI must have gotten mixed up. The wiki page has enough info rectify it. 5 year half life beta emitter is definitely serious. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cobalt-60 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cobalt-60