Author Topic: Police block Mexico hospital, 6 may have radiation  (Read 2085 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline flowers

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 18,798
Police block Mexico hospital, 6 may have radiation
« on: December 06, 2013, 08:05:14 pm »
http://www.wkow.com/story/24155923/police-block-mexico-hospital-6-may-have-radiation

Quote
PACHUCA, Mexico (AP) - Federal police blocked access Friday to a central Mexico hospital where six people were reported to have been admitted with radiation exposure.

An official familiar with the case confirmed Mexican media reports that the six have been admitted to the general hospital in the city of Pachuca and may have been exposed to a stolen source of cobalt-60.

The official, who spoke Friday on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to speak to the media, said only one person was dizzy and vomiting, which are symptoms of radiation poisoning.

The atomic energy agency said the cobalt has an activity of 3,000 curries, or Category 1, meaning "it would probably be fatal to be close to this amount of unshielded radioactive material for a period in the range of a few minutes to an hour."

The missing shipment of radioactive cobalt-60 was found Wednesday about 40 kilometers (24 miles) from where it had been stolen early Monday.

A cargo truck hauling the cobalt-60 was taken from a gas station in the central state of Hidalgo, where Pachuca is located. The material had been removed from obsolete radiation therapy equipment at a hospital in the northern city of Tijuana and was being transported to nuclear waste facility in the state of Mexico, which borders Mexico City.

It seems they found the idiots who didn't know what that funny looking sticker was on the side of the cobalt-60 containers.


Offline Chieftain

  • AMF, YOYO
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 9,621
  • Gender: Male
  • Your what hurts??
Re: Police block Mexico hospital, 6 may have radiation
« Reply #1 on: December 06, 2013, 08:17:48 pm »
How to do you prefer your Mexican....well done or extra crispy...???

Per Wiki...

Cobalt-60, 60Co, is a synthetic radioactive isotope of cobalt with a half-life of 5.2714 years. It is produced artificially by neutron activation of the isotope 59Co.[3] 60Co decays by beta decay to the stable isotope nickel-60 (60Ni). The activated nickel nucleus emits two gamma rays with energies of 1.17 and 1.33 MeV, hence the overall nuclear equation of the reaction is

59
27Co + n → 60
27Co → 60
28Ni + e− + ν
e + gamma rays.

**SCHNIPP**

"MeV" stands for Million electron Volts and is an indicator of the energy of each fission reaction.

yah...very technical, but the long and the short of that Cobalt 60 emits both Gamma rays and Beta Particles (loose electrons) as it decays, and is extremely dangerous when in close contact.  One of the significant fallout hazards of many nuclear weapons bursts is Colbalt 60, and in fact wrapping a nuclear device in Cobalt 60 and letting it be atomized and widely disbursed is one of the early ways of enhancing the effects of nuclear weapons.

These guys were being fried the entire time they were close to this stuff, and what the safe distance is depends on just how much Cobalt 60 they were exposed to and for how long.

« Last Edit: December 06, 2013, 08:20:10 pm by Chieftain »

Offline Atomic Cow

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 18,221
  • Gender: Male
  • High Yield Minion
Re: Police block Mexico hospital, 6 may have radiation
« Reply #2 on: December 06, 2013, 10:19:33 pm »
Cobalt 60 is the "doomsday" isotope as it was the perfect way to kill all life on Earth by adding cobalt to nuclear bombs, which turn it into cobalt 60 upon detonation.
"...And these atomic bombs which science burst upon the world that night were strange, even to the men who used them."  H. G. Wells, The World Set Free, 1914

"The one pervading evil of democracy is the tyranny of the majority, or rather of that party, not always the majority, that succeeds, by force or fraud, in carrying elections." -Lord Acton

Offline flowers

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 18,798
Re: Police block Mexico hospital, 6 may have radiation
« Reply #3 on: December 06, 2013, 10:28:14 pm »
'Dirty bomb' theft: Police seal off Mexican hospital after six are admitted for radiation poisoning

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2519612/Police-block-access-Mexico-hospital-admitted-radiation-exposure.html

Quote
    Police have blocked access to a hospital in Pachuca after six were admitted for radiation exposure
    A truck containing a shipment of cobalt-60 was stolen Monday
    The cobalt-60 was recovered Wednesday, but grave fears were held for the thieves
    Exposure to cobalt-60 can kill those exposed 'almost immediately'
    The cobalt had been used for cancer treatments in Tijuana
    Experts say cobalt-60 can also be used to make a dirty bomb
    The truck was headed to a waste facility
    Thieves probably wanted truck and were unaware of nuclear cargo
    It's not clear if the six hospitalized are the thieves

Found: A firefighter takes photographs of the radiation head that was part of a radiation therapy machine, on the patio of the family who found the abandoned radiation head in a nearby field

In that photo that guy is standing next to the radiation head...is'nt that dangerous?


Offline Atomic Cow

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 18,221
  • Gender: Male
  • High Yield Minion
Re: Police block Mexico hospital, 6 may have radiation
« Reply #4 on: December 06, 2013, 10:33:17 pm »
Highly unlikely this was an attempt at a "dirty bomb."  If it was, they would not have abandoned the vehicle, and then gone to the hospital.  This sounds like some idiots got a lot more than they bargained for when they jacked the truck.

That part probably isn't radioactive, or at least not very.
"...And these atomic bombs which science burst upon the world that night were strange, even to the men who used them."  H. G. Wells, The World Set Free, 1914

"The one pervading evil of democracy is the tyranny of the majority, or rather of that party, not always the majority, that succeeds, by force or fraud, in carrying elections." -Lord Acton

Offline flowers

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 18,798
Re: Police block Mexico hospital, 6 may have radiation
« Reply #5 on: December 06, 2013, 10:42:43 pm »

That part probably isn't radioactive, or at least not very.
I guess that guy will find out soon if it was.


SPQR

  • Guest
Re: Police block Mexico hospital, 6 may have radiation
« Reply #6 on: December 07, 2013, 01:18:10 am »
Cobalt 60 is the "doomsday" isotope as it was the perfect way to kill all life on Earth by adding cobalt to nuclear bombs, which turn it into cobalt 60 upon detonation.

Its called a salted bomb. We are studying nuclear weapons at my university
« Last Edit: December 07, 2013, 01:19:36 am by SPQR »

Oceander

  • Guest
Re: Police block Mexico hospital, 6 may have radiation
« Reply #7 on: December 07, 2013, 02:44:29 am »
Cobalt 60 is the "doomsday" isotope as it was the perfect way to kill all life on Earth by adding cobalt to nuclear bombs, which turn it into cobalt 60 upon detonation.

From the wiki article on the cobalt bomb:
Quote
A cobalt bomb is a theoretical type of "salted bomb":  a nuclear weapon designed to produce enhanced amounts of radioactive fallout, intended to contaminate a large area with radioactive material.  The concept of a cobalt bomb was originally described in a radio program by physicist Leó Szilárd on February 26, 1950.  He suggested that an arsenal of cobalt bombs would be capable of destroying all human life on Earth (though his conclusions are disputed).

As far as is publicly known, no cobalt bombs have ever been built.  The Operation Antler/Round 1 test by the British at the Tadje site in the Maralinga range in Australia on September 14, 1957 tested a bomb using cobalt pellets as a radiochemical tracer for estimating yield.  This was considered a failure and the experiment was not repeated.

SPQR

  • Guest
Re: Police block Mexico hospital, 6 may have radiation
« Reply #8 on: December 07, 2013, 03:42:20 am »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoPpGJE59sI

Secrets of the Dead: The Worlds Biggest Bomb


Quote
Beginning in the 1950s, American and Soviet scientists engaged in a dangerous race to see who could build and detonate the world's largest bomb. The results exceeded all expectations about how big a bomb could be built. This is an epic story where the United States led the way, but then left the field clear for the Soviet Union to break all records. Terrifyingly, the bomb-makers on both sides were flying blind as they pushed the technology far into unknown territory.


Here is the entire video from PBS:Secrets of the Dead: The Worlds Biggest Bomb

http://video.pbs.org/video/1923035514/
« Last Edit: December 07, 2013, 08:30:10 am by SPQR »

Offline EC

  • Shanghaied Editor
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 23,804
  • Gender: Male
  • Cats rule. Dogs drool.
Re: Police block Mexico hospital, 6 may have radiation
« Reply #9 on: December 07, 2013, 09:01:59 am »
In that photo that guy is standing next to the radiation head...is'nt that dangerous?

Only if he stands directly in front of the nozzle and it is unshuttered. Most of what you see is shielding, alternating layers of lead and cadmium.

(Mom worked as an X ray tech and radiotherapist for most of her life.)
The universe doesn't hate you. Unless your name is Tsutomu Yamaguchi

Avatar courtesy of Oceander

I've got a website now: Smoke and Ink

Offline DCPatriot

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 45,792
  • Gender: Male
  • "...and the winning number is...not yours!
Re: Police block Mexico hospital, 6 may have radiation
« Reply #10 on: December 07, 2013, 10:05:25 am »
There was a Clancy inspired movie where an Israeli jet carrying a nuclear warhead crashed during one of their wars and was buried/lost in the desert.....where a couple a nomads discovered the wreckage and took the warhead to sell.

They died of radiation poisoning.

......I suppose these Mexicans didn't catch that movie.   [/s]
"It aint what you don't know that kills you.  It's what you know that aint so!" ...Theodore Sturgeon

"Journalism is about covering the news.  With a pillow.  Until it stops moving."    - David Burge (Iowahawk)

"It was only a sunny smile, and little it cost in the giving, but like morning light it scattered the night and made the day worth living" F. Scott Fitzgerald

SPQR

  • Guest
Re: Police block Mexico hospital, 6 may have radiation
« Reply #11 on: December 07, 2013, 10:46:42 am »
There was a Clancy inspired movie where an Israeli jet carrying a nuclear warhead crashed during one of their wars and was buried/lost in the desert.....where a couple a nomads discovered the wreckage and took the warhead to sell.

They died of radiation poisoning.

......I suppose these Mexicans didn't catch that movie.   [/s]

The book was called "Sum of All Fears". It was a good book and movie

SPQR

  • Guest
Re: Police block Mexico hospital, 6 may have radiation
« Reply #12 on: December 07, 2013, 10:49:26 am »
The book was called "Sum of All Fears". It was a good book and movie

I did not like Ben Affleck play Jack Ryan.

Offline DCPatriot

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 45,792
  • Gender: Male
  • "...and the winning number is...not yours!
Re: Police block Mexico hospital, 6 may have radiation
« Reply #13 on: December 07, 2013, 01:48:54 pm »
I did not like Ben Affleck play Jack Ryan.


Just remember....it took a nuke to kill the Baltimore Ravens.    :patriot: 
"It aint what you don't know that kills you.  It's what you know that aint so!" ...Theodore Sturgeon

"Journalism is about covering the news.  With a pillow.  Until it stops moving."    - David Burge (Iowahawk)

"It was only a sunny smile, and little it cost in the giving, but like morning light it scattered the night and made the day worth living" F. Scott Fitzgerald

Offline Right_in_Virginia

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 79,320
Re: Police block Mexico hospital, 6 may have radiation
« Reply #14 on: December 07, 2013, 04:27:30 pm »
Has anyone figured out what the original plans were for the radioactive material .... and who was going to execute them??

Just wondering.   :shrug:

rangerrebew

  • Guest
Re: Police block Mexico hospital, 6 may have radiation
« Reply #15 on: December 07, 2013, 04:30:10 pm »
Another FBI operation, ala Fast & Furious, gone bad?

Offline Atomic Cow

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 18,221
  • Gender: Male
  • High Yield Minion
Re: Police block Mexico hospital, 6 may have radiation
« Reply #16 on: December 07, 2013, 04:49:01 pm »
Has anyone figured out what the original plans were for the radioactive material .... and who was going to execute them??

Just wondering.   :shrug:

It appears they were after the truck and didn't realize what the cargo was.  Criminals aren't know for being very smart.
"...And these atomic bombs which science burst upon the world that night were strange, even to the men who used them."  H. G. Wells, The World Set Free, 1914

"The one pervading evil of democracy is the tyranny of the majority, or rather of that party, not always the majority, that succeeds, by force or fraud, in carrying elections." -Lord Acton

Oceander

  • Guest
Re: Police block Mexico hospital, 6 may have radiation
« Reply #17 on: December 07, 2013, 04:54:30 pm »
Has anyone figured out what the original plans were for the radioactive material .... and who was going to execute them??

Just wondering.   :shrug:

A lot of times they simply see the item itself as something high tech-y with lots of precious metals on things like circuit boards and wiring, that they think they can sell to a business that recycles waste to recover those sorts of metals, the way that a lot of other electronics are recycled.

Offline Right_in_Virginia

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 79,320
Re: Police block Mexico hospital, 6 may have radiation
« Reply #18 on: December 07, 2013, 05:49:44 pm »
It appears they were after the truck and didn't realize what the cargo was.  Criminals aren't know for being very smart.

Okay.  But where did the cargo come from and where was it headed?????

Offline EC

  • Shanghaied Editor
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 23,804
  • Gender: Male
  • Cats rule. Dogs drool.
Re: Police block Mexico hospital, 6 may have radiation
« Reply #19 on: December 07, 2013, 05:56:20 pm »
Okay.  But where did the cargo come from and where was it headed?????

Decommissioned hospital.

Heading to the USA for safe disposal - the US handles all Mexico's radioisotopes. Also all Canada's.
The universe doesn't hate you. Unless your name is Tsutomu Yamaguchi

Avatar courtesy of Oceander

I've got a website now: Smoke and Ink