# Is That Weapons Grade Uranium in Your Pocket Or Are Just Happy to See Me? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 25, 2007, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-weapons-grade-uranium-in-your-pocket-or-are-just-happy-to-see-me/389389 "2007-01-25T10:14:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2007, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-weapons-grade-uranium-in-your-pocket-or-are-just-happy-to-see-me/389389/1 "2007-01-25T10:14:04Z")
In [this story](http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nationworld/bal-te.world25jan25,0,746433.story?coll=bal-nationworld-headlines), a guy apparently got busted in the Republic of Georgia trying to sell weapons grade uranium that he had _in a plastic baggy in his pocket!_ Wouldn’t there be some danger that he could irradiate himself to dangerous levels by doing that? Or is the dosage low enough that it wouldn’t be a significant risk? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2007, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-weapons-grade-uranium-in-your-pocket-or-are-just-happy-to-see-me/389389/2 "2007-01-25T13:32:22Z")
Bomb grade? Not fake? And _unshielded_? _Next to your skin?_ He won’t live through his sentance. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2007, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-weapons-grade-uranium-in-your-pocket-or-are-just-happy-to-see-me/389389/3 "2007-01-25T13:38:14Z")
[QUOTE=Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor] Bomb grade? Not fake? And _unshielded_? _Next to your skin?_ He won’t live through his sentance. [/QUOTE] I think you vastly overestimate the radioactivity of uranium; even pure (which weapons-grade isn’t) U-235 has a half-life of 713 million years. Additionally, all isotopes of uranium are primarily alpha emitters, which are particles that can be stopped by sheet of paper. He’ll be fine. Uranium is only hazardous if ingested, or if inhaled in particulate form. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2007, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-weapons-grade-uranium-in-your-pocket-or-are-just-happy-to-see-me/389389/4 "2007-01-25T13:39:46Z")
[QUOTE=Q.E.D.] I think you vastly underestimate the radioactivity of uranium; even pure (which weapons-grade isn’t) U-235 has a half-life of 713 million years. Additionally, all isotopes of uranium are primarily alpha emitters, which are particles that can be stopped by sheet of paper. He’ll be fine. Uranium is only hazardous if ingested, or if inhaled in particulate form. [/QUOTE] I think you meant **over** estimate. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2007, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-weapons-grade-uranium-in-your-pocket-or-are-just-happy-to-see-me/389389/5 "2007-01-25T13:43:15Z")
Fixed that. Thanks. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2007, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-weapons-grade-uranium-in-your-pocket-or-are-just-happy-to-see-me/389389/6 "2007-01-25T13:47:00Z")
[QUOTE=Q.E.D.] Additionally, all isotopes of uranium are primarily alpha emitters, which are particles that can be stopped by sheet of paper. He’ll be fine. Uranium is only hazardous if ingested, or if inhaled in particulate form. [/QUOTE] But it was hidden in his clothes. Skin contact with an Alpha source is _not_ harmless. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2007, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-weapons-grade-uranium-in-your-pocket-or-are-just-happy-to-see-me/389389/7 "2007-01-25T13:54:50Z")
[QUOTE=Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor] But it was hidden in his clothes. Skin contact with an Alpha source is _not_ harmless. [/QUOTE] It was in a plastic bag. That alone is sufficient to block alpha emissions. Additionally, the outer layers of skin, which are already dead, serve to block the vast majority of the particles. You can handle an enriched U bomb core with your bare hands with no ill effects. It’s just not that dangerous a substance. Now, plutonium, on the other hand… ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2007, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-weapons-grade-uranium-in-your-pocket-or-are-just-happy-to-see-me/389389/8 "2007-01-25T13:57:08Z")
See [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_particle): > [@](#): > > Because of their charge and large mass, alpha particles are easily absorbed by materials and can travel only a few centimeters in air. They can be absorbed by tissue paper or the outer layers of human skin (about 40 micrometres, equivalent to a few cells deep) and so are not generally dangerous to life unless the source is ingested or inhaled. ---
**Author:** ![Malodorous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47774/32.png) [@Malodorous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malodorous)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2007, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-weapons-grade-uranium-in-your-pocket-or-are-just-happy-to-see-me/389389/9 "2007-01-25T14:09:18Z")
[QUOTE=Q.E.D.] He’ll be fine. Uranium is only hazardous if ingested, or if inhaled in particulate form. [/QUOTE] …or in a critical mass 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2007, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-weapons-grade-uranium-in-your-pocket-or-are-just-happy-to-see-me/389389/10 "2007-01-25T14:36:23Z")
Or if a big enough chunk falls on your head 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2007, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-weapons-grade-uranium-in-your-pocket-or-are-just-happy-to-see-me/389389/11 "2007-01-25T14:53:39Z")
[QUOTE=Q.E.D.] It was in a plastic bag. That alone is sufficient to block alpha emissions. Additionally, the outer layers of skin, which are already dead, serve to block the vast majority of the particles. You can handle an enriched U bomb core with your bare hands with no ill effects. It’s just not that dangerous a substance. Now, plutonium, on the other hand… [/QUOTE] Plutonium is an alpha emitter also. As with U, the biggest danger is uptake. Unless it was Pu-238 (heat source), of course. Then it woulda melted the plastic bag before he could have stuffed it into his pocket, and it woulda burned through the cotton and his skin pretty quickly! In addition, if he had Pu-239 (weapons grade), he’d have to make two trips if he planned to sell enough to make a weapon, or risk having criticality in his pants. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2007, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-weapons-grade-uranium-in-your-pocket-or-are-just-happy-to-see-me/389389/12 "2007-01-25T14:56:31Z")
[QUOTE=Pygmy Rugger] Plutonium is an alpha emitter also. [/QUOTE] I know. That was supposed to have been a tongue-in-cheek reference to the perennial popular media claim that Pu is “the most toxic substance known to man,” which isn’t anywhere near true in any sense. I’ve even seen that stated in textbooks! ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2007, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-weapons-grade-uranium-in-your-pocket-or-are-just-happy-to-see-me/389389/13 "2007-01-25T15:37:25Z")
[QUOTE=Q.E.D.] I know. That was supposed to have been a tongue-in-cheek reference to the perennial popular media claim that Pu is “the most toxic substance known to man,” which isn’t anywhere near true in any sense. I’ve even seen that stated in textbooks! [/QUOTE] Woosh to me! I should keep a tally of these things! I was offered a two day course on introduction to Pu metallurgy. Most of it was pretty basic, things that were pretty basic (to me, anyway, BS in mechanical engineering). Most of the class was phase-diagrams, stress-strain curves, and other topics that were extensively covered in my undergrad courses. The things that were interesting, though, were the parts specific to Pu. I had no idea there were six (seven, depending on how you classify them) crystal structures. It was also surprising that alot of the data that’s classified about Pu is a very small portion of the phase diagrams (and its physical properties there), the portion in which weapons are built. Hopefully I’ll get my clearance soon, so I can learn a bunch of stuff I can’t post! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2007, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-weapons-grade-uranium-in-your-pocket-or-are-just-happy-to-see-me/389389/14 "2007-01-25T15:45:01Z")
I recall seeing in college freshman chemistry class, pictures of a guy who had carried some radioactive stuff in his pants pocket. I don’t recall what exactly it was (this was about 27 years ago), so maybe Cesium? But I recall the series of pictures of this guy’s legs and lower torso taken over the next couple of weeks. He swelled up pretty bad and then his legs sloughed off, and he mercifully died a short time later. ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2007, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-weapons-grade-uranium-in-your-pocket-or-are-just-happy-to-see-me/389389/15 "2007-01-25T17:25:45Z")
**CurtC** , are you sure it wasn’t sodium? Those are the pictures I saw, about 6 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2007, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-weapons-grade-uranium-in-your-pocket-or-are-just-happy-to-see-me/389389/16 "2007-01-25T19:34:03Z")
[QUOTE=Pygmy Rugger] … or risk having criticality in his pants. 😉 [/QUOTE] Not going there. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2007, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-weapons-grade-uranium-in-your-pocket-or-are-just-happy-to-see-me/389389/17 "2007-01-25T21:19:45Z")
[QUOTE=Pygmy Rugger] **CurtC** , are you sure it wasn’t sodium? Those are the pictures I saw, about 6 years ago. [/QUOTE] No, I’m not sure. What isotope of sodium is radioactive? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2007, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-weapons-grade-uranium-in-your-pocket-or-are-just-happy-to-see-me/389389/18 "2007-01-25T21:41:54Z")
[QUOTE=CurtC] No, I’m not sure. What isotope of sodium is radioactive? [/QUOTE] Way outta my league here, but IIRC from 8th grade science sodium reacts REALLY violently with water (ie sweat). I’m guessing his skin burned off. ---
**Author:** ![Epimetheus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c4cdca/32.png) [@Epimetheus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Epimetheus)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2007, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-weapons-grade-uranium-in-your-pocket-or-are-just-happy-to-see-me/389389/19 "2007-01-25T21:53:23Z")
So smuggling weapons grade Uranium in your… colon, isn’t a great career move? ---
**Author:** ![sweeteviljesus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@sweeteviljesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweeteviljesus)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2007, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-weapons-grade-uranium-in-your-pocket-or-are-just-happy-to-see-me/389389/20 "2007-01-25T22:02:30Z")
Everyone knows that the best way to smuggle U235 is to hide it in a bale of marijuana. Rob [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-weapons-grade-uranium-in-your-pocket-or-are-just-happy-to-see-me/389389.md?page=2)