Uranium Radiation Questions

[Luxuria]

Hello everyone,

I am doing some research for my story on uranium. The story is set in ancient times in an alternate universe/earth. But the thing to remember is that all of the elements and how they work are the same. I know it's radioactive, somewhat. The issue I am having is, would someone who has been exposed to it for long periods of time, become radioactive enough to cause others to become irradiated as well? Also, HOW radioactive it in a natural powder/unprocessed form? I am sure other questions will arise, but I need to know all I can about uranium radiation and how it spreads. I am debating using yellow cake, because the person who discovers this element has been able to refine it to this stage. But I am anticipating that she falls ill and I am wondering if her radiation would spread. I am sure the dust is dangerous, too.

Thanks for your help!

 

[DLC]

No idea, but that's a good question just as a general knowledge thing. Reminds me of Marie Curie and how she got irradiated to death and such. Since it's ancient times, why would they? Some by product of mining some other metal? Who discovered the stuff was useful and when?

 

[Homer Potvin]

Natural uranium or enriched uranium? Huge difference. I'm not a physicist, but I don't think people spread it like AIDs.

 

[Luxuria]

No idea, but that's a good question just as a general knowledge thing. Reminds me of Marie Curie and how she got irradiated to death and such. Since it's ancient times, why would they? Some by product of mining some other metal? Who discovered the stuff was useful and when?

I was actually inspired by her and the Radium Girls for this character. This character, for the sake of this post, named A has the magic to invent things and I am thinking about how A would be so interested in this new element she discovered and how wrong it might go.

Natural uranium or enriched uranium? Huge difference. I'm not a physicist, but I don't think people spread it like AIDs.

I think A begins with natural uranium and realizes that there's 'enriched' and begins to mess around with the radioactive stuff. If you're wondering HOW she 'refines it', she's considered in her time to be a genius and has some magic up her sleeve to make seprating it easier. However, in all my books, radiation is the ultimate killer. So, there really isn't a way to 'save' her.

To be more clear, A ends up being able to at least process it to a yellow cake state. But in that state, I think the dust would grow to become a problem. Because she doesn't have a lab or protective gear, because this is all new to her. Also, to give you an idea of the current technological level, A just figured out how to make denim and is trying to figure out electricity.

 

[Naomasa298]

Marie Curie was probably glowing in the dark, but I don't think she contaminated anyone else. I don't believe the radium girls did either. Maybe if someone shared their toothbrush.

 

[Homer Potvin]

I was actually inspired by her and the Radium Girls for this character. This character, for the sake of this post, named A has the magic to invent things and I am thinking about how A would be so interested in this new element she discovered and how wrong it might go.

I think A begins with natural uranium and realizes that there's 'enriched' and begins to mess around with the radioactive stuff. If you're wondering HOW she 'refines it', she's considered in her time to be a genius and has some magic up her sleeve to make seprating it easier. However, in all my books, radiation is the ultimate killer. So, there really isn't a way to 'save' her.

To be more clear, A ends up being able to at least process it to a yellow cake state. But in that state, I think the dust would grow to become a problem. Because she doesn't have a lab or protective gear, because this is all new to her. Also, to give you an idea of the current technological level, A just figured out how to make denim and is trying to figure out electricity.

CIA yellow cake? Better have that special CIA napkin like Mos Def.

 

[Heartlet Happer]

He walks into heart of the party
He eats from middle of cake
He uses his head for the eating
Because he is what for was made

 

[Luxuria]

Marie Curie was probably glowing in the dark, but I don't think she contaminated anyone else. I don't believe the radium girls did either. Maybe if someone shared their toothbrush.

I thought her husband also died because of radiation. Also, I think her cookbooks were radioactive, too. But I think Radium might work differently than Uranium. The reason I chose Uranium was because people were using it much earlier. Supposedly, there was Ancient Roman Uranium glass found.

 

[Stuart Dren]

I think if she has trace contaminant on her personally e.g. dust on her clothes, in her hair, under hear nails, then yeah people around her could be affected with enough exposure. I wager that would be the most significant way to affect the people around her.

Otherwise she's been merely been slowly damaging her own cells/DNA via radiation.

Some metals are apparently worrisome for 'activation' (become radioactive due to exposure to ionising radiation) but that seems to only be significant for intense exposure like nuclear reactors.

This talks about yellow-cake, but I'm not reading all that tonight. Not sure if it focuses on radiation or just toxicity.

Health Effects of Particulate Uranium Exposure - PMC

Uranium contamination has become a nonnegligible global health problem. Inhalation of particulate uranium is one of the predominant routes of occupational and environmental exposure. Uranium particle is a complex two-phase flow of matter that is ...

pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[Luxuria]

I think if she has trace contaminant on her personally e.g. dust on her clothes, in her hair, under hear nails, then yeah people around her could be affected with enough exposure. I wager that would be the most significant way to affect the people around her.

That's what I was thinking. I figure the dust would naturally spread and cause problems.

Otherwise she's been merely been slowly damaging her own cells/DNA via radiation.

Yeah, that's what happens. It's not pretty.

Some metals are apparently worrisome for 'activation' (become radioactive due to exposure to ionising radiation) but that seems to only be significant for intense exposure like nuclear reactors.

That's true, from what I understand. I know that you can create Neptunium and Plutonium, etc. through messing with the atoms. Which might be what happens and really ramps up the radioactive damage. Because this character is too curious for her own good. But yeah, I can see her messing with it and making more radioactive elements out of the Uranium, or trying to figure out what the different isotopes are.

 

[Naomasa298]

Pierre Curie was working with his wife directly on polonium. I don't think she contaminated him.

Their daughter and her husband also died from radiation poisoning, but like Marie and Pierre, they were also scientists who worked directly with radioactive materials.

 

[Luxuria]

Pierre Curie was working with his wife directly on polonium. I don't think she contaminated him.

Their daughter and her husband also died from radiation poisoning, but like Marie and Pierre, they were also scientists who worked directly with radioactive materials.

Um... interesting. I wonder why the daughter died. But again, Radium works differently than Uranium, kinda. From what I understand it's far more deadly.

 

[Naomasa298]

Um... interesting. I wonder why the daughter died. But again, Radium works differently than Uranium, kinda. From what I understand it's far more deadly.

She was working with radium, but also creating radioactive isotopes of non-radioactive materials, I think by bombarding them with alpha rays.

 

[Luxuria]

She was working with radium, but also creating radioactive isotopes of non-radioactive materials, I think by bombarding them with alpha rays.

Good to know. Because I am thinking my character will be trying to do the same with Uranium, which would give her Neptunium and Plutonium, etc. I will look into how and what Curie was researching.

 

[Naomasa298]

Good to know. Because I am thinking my character will be trying to do the same with Uranium, which would give her Neptunium and Plutonium, etc. I will look into how and what Curie was researching.

For Marie Curie, it was polonium, amongst other things. She named it after Poland, her native country.

 

[Luxuria]

For Marie Curie, it was polonium, amongst other things. She named it after Poland, her native country.

That's really great. I also love that someone, I think it was Seaborg named one of his discoveries Curium. (Cm).

 

[DLC]

You got me reading about it cause I was curious. Seems 'yellowcake' is only risky if you inhale it, since it has a half life of 4+ billion years. Had to stop reading before I went out to the shed and split the atom.