Re: ATM Radioactivity of CeO Compounds

["Herb Kasler" <h.kasler@worldnet.att.net>]

Just to put the issue of radiation exposure from CeO in perspective,

The naturally occurring radioisotope of potassium, potassium 40, constitutes
a large enough proportion of native potassium that you can easily pick up a
bottle of potassium chloride with a suitable geiger counter.  It emits both
hard beta and gamma radiation with a half-life of about 2 billion years. Try
it sometime if you work in a lab! We all walk around with about 300 grams of
this stuff inside us every day.  There's no getting away from it. One should
keep this fact in mind when contemplating the chronic exposure hazard, even
by ingestion or inhalation,  from sources which emit barely detectable
amounts of radiation, like CeO powder. I'm not saying we should be snorting
the stuff, but I don't think it's gonna shorten your life any with even
daily use (due to radiation, that is. I don't know about its problems purely
as a particulate).
Later,
Herb.