Orphan source incidents

[Mark Palmer]

Has anyone checked out "orphan source incidents" ?wiki and youtube have some scary details of some of them, not something you would normally consider when having an xray, CT scan or receiving Radiotherapy treatment.... the radioactive source inside these things can be pretty potent and some go "missing"... abandoned Russian RTGs (nuclear battery) are another source of chaos and misery ....

 

[Chrisj]

I had not heard of them, having looked it up, it is scary, just imagine when some of them get into the wrong hands, the potential for something nasty, to be made I would think.

 

[Jay Butts]

There was an entire Russian program of irradiating corn seed before planting it. After several years, the authorities realised that it made little difference so farmers just parked up these machines into corners of their fields…… hundreds if not thousands of them. Each contains about 200 grams of cobalt 60.

We can expect dirty bombs from fanatics at some point….

Hope I’ve not missed your point Mark…

 

[CDH]

The Russian RTGs are horrendous mostly because they used them in really remote areas for lighthouses etc. Then when the whole soviet system fell they didn't feel they should still be responsible for them so let them decay!

 

[TimD81]

there was one incident in Australia few years back they lost a radioactive thing that was the size of a grain of rice! and they found it

 

[Mark Palmer]

There was an entire Russian program of irradiating corn seed before planting it. After several years, the authorities realised that it made little difference so farmers just parked up these machines into corners of their fields…… hundreds if not thousands of them. Each contains about 200 grams of cobalt 60.

We can expect dirty bombs from fanatics at some point….

Hope I’ve not missed your point Mark…

This was exactly my point, I'm amazed the toerags havent already done it, a few cobalt 60 rods and some c4 in a crowded area would cause havoc, plenty of donor machines in Gazan hospitals I would think

 

[Jay Butts]

This was exactly my point, I'm amazed the toerags havent already done it, a few cobalt 60 rods and some c4 in a crowded area would cause havoc, plenty of donor machines in Gazan hospitals I would think

Very scary Mark. Most are ignorant to the damage a dirty bomb can do.

Watch a channel on YT called Plainly Difficult. Some really interesting stuff on little known nuclear incidents. It’s opened my eyes.

 

[Mark Palmer]

Very scary Mark. Most are ignorant to the damage a dirty bomb can do.

Watch a channel on YT called Plainly Difficult. Some really interesting stuff on little known nuclear incidents. It’s opened my eyes.

I found them by accident, theres some really scary ones, apparently loads of buildings in The US and South America built using rebar contaminated with an isotope as well
Here:

 

[Jay Butts]

I found them by accident, theres some really scary ones, apparently loads of buildings in The US and South America built using rebar contaminated with an isotope as well
Here:

Already watched it Mark, catch up on some of his other stuff. V scary!

 

[Mark Palmer]

Already watched it Mark, catch up on some of his other stuff. V scary!

I've watched a fair few, the Georgian hill billies with the "night heater" was grim, so was the Thailand one

 

[Jay Butts]

Ain’t seen the Georgian one, I’ll defo take a look Mark.

I can’t believe the stupidity of some folk though. Finding a piece of metal that glowed blue in the dark, this due to ionising radiation, and taking it home to show the wife and kids. Beggars belief mate…..

 

[Mark Palmer]

Ain’t seen the Georgian one, I’ll defo take a look Mark.

I can’t believe the stupidity of some folk though. Finding a piece of metal that glowed blue in the dark, this due to ionising radiation, and taking it home to show the wife and kids. Beggars belief mate…..

uneducated people , in one of the ones I watched the "radiation' symbol isnt recognised or understood by the majority of Africans and South Americans , all they see is a heavy metal object that has a scrap value, or "magical" glowing grains , "Drop and run" has been added to Cobalt 60 rods.... not much use to someone who doesnt understand English, assuming they can actually read!
The Georgians who found the RTG sources actually went to hospital, the thieves who removed them from the RTGs are unknown (assuming the finders weren't the thieves),, so most likely died without seeking medical help... it's quite worrying that a couple of Cobalt 60 rods left in a populated/high traffic area could seriously harm or kill lots of people

 

[Si Titor]

If you import or deal in scrap metal / items a sensitive geiger counter / scintillation radiation detector is an esential item to have. I used to buy and sell them, I had a new flashy one pocket sized (coat pocket sized) and took it out with me to the village I was walking by a gas van they were working on a gas pipe and the alarm went off, it was detecting the radioactive gas they use to test for pipe leaks.