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In reply to the discussion: America in 'huge trouble,' says nuclear expert [View all]mick063
(2,424 posts)I am currently working on the decommissioning and demolition of Plutonium Finishing Plant at Hanford Site in Washington State. I can' t enlighten you much more about the facility due to potential personal liability for releasing potentially restricted information, but there is plenty of public information available online that has been officially cleared for release through the Department of Energy.
I will say this. Plutonium is not naturally occurring. It is entirely man made. If it is found outside the bounds of a radiological boundary, there is a serious problem. The problem is inhalation. Unlike typical mitigation of external dose through time, distance, and shielding, there is no mitigation for internal ingestion. Plutonium is "bone seeking" and if countermeasures are not quickly taken after initial exposure, victims are destined to take a never ending dose for potentially the remainder of there lives. It stays with you forever. It will damage cells forever.
One little invisible " flea" that will never be detected unless you undergo a bioassay from a specialized facility performed by skilled professionals. Access to such facilities are extremely limited. There is potential for affected individuals that will never know the cause for adverse health effects.