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From: morse@leadsv.UUCP (Terry Morse)
Newsgroups: net.politics,net.sci,net.bio
Subject: Re: Plutonium
Message-ID: <891@leadsv.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 7-Apr-86 21:14:28 EST
Article-I.D.: leadsv.891
Posted: Mon Apr  7 21:14:28 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 12-Apr-86 00:24:14 EST
References: <358@drutx.UUCP> <1063@whuxl.UUCP> <2384@jhunix.UUCP>
Organization: Lockheed, Sunnyvale CA
Lines: 16
Xref: linus net.politics:13952 net.sci:416 net.bio:238
Summary: Pu is safe until it burns

> Certainly nuclear weapons are dangerous (understatement of the decade) but
> I am tired of hearing statements that a few pounds of plutonium can kill
> everyone on Earth.  This was gone over recently in net.columbia.
> (Note:  I am cross-posting this to net.sci and net.bio.  Would someone there
> please give me some references that would tend to confirm or refute Mr.
> Sevener's statement on the toxicity of plutonium?)

This was covered in my nuclear engineering class once.  Plutonium is
relatively harmless until it is burned.  Inhale a couple of microgams of
plutonium oxide dust and you're done for.  The good news is that it's
hard to burn plutonium.  Nuclear explosions are one fairly good way to
ignite plutonium, but I would guess most of it gets destroyed.
-- 

Terry Morse  (408)743-1487
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