this post was submitted on 23 Nov 2023
1 points (100.0% liked)

196

16423 readers
1946 users here now

Be sure to follow the rule before you head out.

Rule: You must post before you leave.

^other^ ^rules^

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] umbrella@lemmy.ml 0 points 11 months ago (2 children)
[–] hallettj@beehaw.org 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Radium produces the most radiation by miles. The plutonium gives off some alpha radiation that won't hurt you if you don't eat it. (Eye protection would be a good idea I suppose.) I don't remember what U-235 emits but I don't think it's a huge amount.

[–] ChaoticNeutralCzech@feddit.de 0 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

The half-life of ^235^U is hundreds of millions of years so it is not a concern. However, it will literally become a nuke if too much (a few liters or 60 kg) get too close together.

The half-life of plutonium-239 is tens of thousands of years so only a thousandth will get a chance to hurt Theodore over his lifetime. However, it is probably chemically toxic so it might cause non-radiation poisoning.

Radium-225 will decay in days, and will quickly go through 7 more radioactive reactions, both alpha and beta, before becoming essentially stable bismuth. It is the worst by far.