Uranium in cargo - Heathrow Airport
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Vance, Belgium
Age: 61
Posts: 242
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
About the present incident in Heathrow and the quoted 747 accidents (El Al and others), one has to understand that U238 is used in quite many industrial processes.
U238 is NOT fissile but it is radioactive (half-life: ~4.5 billion years). It decays through an alpha radiation which is hardly detectable but its child product is the short-lived Th234 which has a half live of 24 days and decays with a beta- radiation (ie: electrons). This beta- radiation triggers radioactivity detectors.
U238 is used for photographic intensifiers, ceramic colorants, dental porcelain additives, armor–piercing bullets, specialised anvils, ballast (as in B747), radiation shields (yes, it looks contradictory, but it is efficient), etc.
It is quite possible that a disused material from one of these above activities has been mixed with other high-value scrap metal.
It is public knowledge that many international airports are equipped with radiation detectors; if this metal was intended for a malicious use, it would not have transited through Heathrow.
U238 is NOT fissile but it is radioactive (half-life: ~4.5 billion years). It decays through an alpha radiation which is hardly detectable but its child product is the short-lived Th234 which has a half live of 24 days and decays with a beta- radiation (ie: electrons). This beta- radiation triggers radioactivity detectors.
U238 is used for photographic intensifiers, ceramic colorants, dental porcelain additives, armor–piercing bullets, specialised anvils, ballast (as in B747), radiation shields (yes, it looks contradictory, but it is efficient), etc.
It is quite possible that a disused material from one of these above activities has been mixed with other high-value scrap metal.
It is public knowledge that many international airports are equipped with radiation detectors; if this metal was intended for a malicious use, it would not have transited through Heathrow.
Pegase Driver
Join Date: May 1997
Location: Europe
Age: 73
Posts: 3,552
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
if this metal was intended for a malicious use, it would not have transited through Heathrow.
It is now reported the Iranian-linked receiver was licenced in the UK to handle uranium, so the "terrorist" suggestions from official sources read like poor attempts at propaganda.
Considering the start point, are bars of freshly smelted ore for separation of rare metals possible?
15kg of most metals will be very low volume.
Considering the start point, are bars of freshly smelted ore for separation of rare metals possible?
15kg of most metals will be very low volume.
Out of curiosity, was there a mention somewhere of what kind of scrap metal the bars were ? looking on line at the resale price of scrap metals it goes from 20 cents a Kg for iron to 6 $/ Kg for pure copper. and most, like aluminium, between 1 and 2 $ /Kg. Asuming it was not copper, why would someone send low value scrap metal bars per air freight?
Some years ago, I came back into the US through International Falls MN, and had the nice ICE people sweep my plane for nastiness as we were processed back into the country.
Everyone with a gun inspecting the plane got very excited just about the time that all of the passengers made it into the fbo. Seems there was a significant amount of radiation detected by their tricorders (or whatever)
Well, it turned out that the empty hole in my copilot panel that had been occupied by a dead RMI, and which I filled with a (it turns out) WW2 vintage vertical card compass that I found laying around someplace, had a radium painted dial…
Had some ‘Splainin” to do
Everyone with a gun inspecting the plane got very excited just about the time that all of the passengers made it into the fbo. Seems there was a significant amount of radiation detected by their tricorders (or whatever)
Well, it turned out that the empty hole in my copilot panel that had been occupied by a dead RMI, and which I filled with a (it turns out) WW2 vintage vertical card compass that I found laying around someplace, had a radium painted dial…
Had some ‘Splainin” to do
Oops U-235 is spicier than U-238.
Not as exciting as when the DoE sold an entire uranium enrichment plant to a scrap metal dealer and then provided the dealer the plans to assemble it under an FOIA request. He was steadfast on his request to be appropriately compensated after he made numerous calls to raise the issue as it could have gone anywhere in the world as stainless steel scrap.
Not as exciting as when the DoE sold an entire uranium enrichment plant to a scrap metal dealer and then provided the dealer the plans to assemble it under an FOIA request. He was steadfast on his request to be appropriately compensated after he made numerous calls to raise the issue as it could have gone anywhere in the world as stainless steel scrap.
Join Date: May 2001
Location: south of Cirencester, north of Lyneham
Age: 76
Posts: 1,267
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
A lot of WW2 meters and instruments were very radio active: generally alpha radiation, which can be stopped by a sheet of paper. The trouble comes if they are broken or otherwise opened, the luminous paint has generally started flaking and particles of its dust get inhaled with nasty results Some bits of ex-military gear are so bad for radiation, even through the glass fronts of meters, that they have been withdrawn from displays at museums.
Police in Cheshire detained the man, in his 60s, on Saturday. He has been bailed until April.
Commander Richard Smith, who leads the Met's Counter Terrorism Command, said: "I want to be clear that despite making this arrest, and based on what we currently know, this incident still does not appear to be linked to any direct threat to the public.
"However, detectives are continuing with their inquiries to ensure this is definitely the case."
Commander Richard Smith, who leads the Met's Counter Terrorism Command, said: "I want to be clear that despite making this arrest, and based on what we currently know, this incident still does not appear to be linked to any direct threat to the public.
"However, detectives are continuing with their inquiries to ensure this is definitely the case."
One version: https://www.washingtonpost.com/archi...-e03a256b154f/
Longer, far better version: https://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+w...le.-a015818779
Longer, far better version: https://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+w...le.-a015818779
As for this specific case the investigation is still ongoing but it seems more and more likely that it was not related to any nefarious plan.
Many years ago, in the 1980's, I worked in an airfreight forwarders office and warehouse just outside Heathrow. Its was completely normal to find hazardous goods (paint / chemicals / essential oils / batteries etc) described in documentation, and packed as, non -hazardous cargo. Either because of ignorance of the hazard, (and you would hardly believe how ignorant they could be ) or to avoid the expense of packing it properly, and the extra cost of airfreight. Leaking drums were common and even when informed of the problem, the shippers would not believe that their goods could damage the aircraft or other cargo. Hopefully things are better managed now, though I have my doubts.
yeah but we just sent something via DPD and the list of "exclusions" was astounding - including a lot of things they've actually delivered to us from manufacturers
"human Flesh" as one we haven't seen yet tho'
"human Flesh" as one we haven't seen yet tho'
Asturias: we had 'exclusions' as well, and the hazardous packing regs were also sent to customers, but somehow this didn't stop 'mis-declaration ' of cargo, inadvertent or otherwise. As a matter of comparison: a couple of years ago, after a maritime 'incident' where a ship became unstable, all the shipping containers on board were taken off, weighed and the contents checked. Over 20 percent were found to be substantially overweight, in some cases but 200 percent more than the weight declared. The actual contents, likewise, often more little relation to the contents said to be in them. The consequences on the stability and safety of the ship are obvious. (I have been a shipbroker for some 40 years, and know whereof I speak)
