I read an article on the weekend in one of out national newspapers about the mantles used in kerosene/dual fuel lamps available at disposal/camping stores have four hundred times the recommended dosage of radiation. I have contacted the Herald Sun in Melbourne to request a copy which was published in their Sunday and I will post at this site. When I visited the local disposal/camping store on Monday the sales assistant told me that they received an urgent fax from their head office to remove all stock to out the back and issue a warning when selling any. You obviously need the mantles but I will be storing my lamp and mantles outside in the garage.

-- pauline jansen (paulinej@angliss.vic.edu.au), June 10, 1999

Answers

The response of the store sounds like a major over-reaction, unless they received a shipment of mantles that were almost pure thorium. Some mantles, notably the Aladdin and off-brand tie-on types that fit Coleman lanterns, do contain the rare earth thorium, which is radioactive (an alpha emitter). However, there is little danger from these mantles unless their ash is either inhaled or ingested. The Coleman Gold line of mantles has used the rare earth yttrium for several years now, in place of thorium, and are not radioactive at all.

Storing the mantles/lantern in the garage is overkill. Alpha particles are stopped by a sheet of paper. When in use, there is the remote possibility that a few particles may be wafted up with the combustion gases and wind up being inhaled, but it isn't likely. Simply refrain from jarring the lamp/lantern while it's in use, and keep a window cracked for ventilation.

-- klm (klm@nwhre.not), June 10, 1999.

I can't say whether it is correct or not but the disposal store was one of a national chain receiving a fax from their head office. Like I say, when I get the story I will post it. Thanks for your comments.

-- pauline jansen (paulinej@angliss.vic.edu.au), June 10, 1999.

Over-reacting. ALL those mantles are SLIGHTLY (!!!!) radioactive. No health risk is present, unless you were to EAT a few cases of them...

-- Dennis (djolson@pressenter.com), June 10, 1999.

Yes they are radioactive, and coffee grounds exceed the curies per kilogram limits in the UK and should be considered radioactive hazardous waste. Now that you mention it that wooden chair you are sitting on is just loaded with carbon-14, better buy a cushion made of 3" of lead!

*SIGH* there was the same type of hoopla made over the radioactivity that is found in smoke detectors. Yes it is there. Yes it can be measured by exotic laboratory equipment. No it is not measurable by conventional means. No it poses no health risk what so ever. Dennis is right, do not eat a case of them, they may make you constipated, which is probably their most significant health risk.

If there is anybody that would like to learn about the real risks of radiation the least expensive and more authoritative resource would be to purchase the back issues of Access To Energy on CD-ROM from http://www.oism.org or get the same from the Robinson Curriculum set of CDs from the same source. If you don't mind spending over $150.oo for two very small books Hormesis Through Ionizing Radiation published by CRC I and II will give your literally thousands of references to understanding radiation.

All this unfounded fear of radiation makes me angry. I think I'll go post a nasty reply to Tom Carey's posting.

-- Ken Seger (kenseger@earthlink.net), June 10, 1999.

Oh my God Ken,

I havn't looked at a book from the "Chemical Rubber Company" in years! Pretty dry stuff. I still have a couple... ;^)

-- Dennis (djolson@pressenter.com), June 10, 1999.

"All this unfounded fear of radiation makes me angry. I think I'll go post a nasty reply to Tom Carey's posting."

ROFL

-- Stan Faryna (info@giglobal.com), June 10, 1999.

Pauline - Please understand that I am not upset with you. You are a victim of a deliberate misinformation champaign.

Stan - http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=000vds if you care. About three paragraphs in I started sputtering and typoing myself into oblivion. DANG I just get so steamed when I try to condense a decade plus of serious study into just a few words to refute intentional ingnorance.

Dennis - Gee. You don't think you're going to see any of CRC's titles on the New York Times bestseller list? It sure would be a different world if we did though. I mean they have such NICE binding and covers!

-- Ken Seger (kenseger@earthlink.net), June 10, 1999.

And some of you don't think there will be a PANIC!

BWWAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHa

-- FLAME AWAY (BLehman202@aol.com), June 10, 1999.

True about thorium in lantern mantles. True that it's not much. But--

The thorium decay series (http://www.normis.com/bkgrnd.htm#Terrestrial Radiation runs through a number of radioactive isotopes, most of them quite short lived. Alpha, beta and gamma emissions accompany this decay.

Thorium 232 is present in every common house brick. (Background radiation in a brick house, though slight, will always be measurably higher than outdoors. The only daughter product in the sequence that is of concern is radon, and then only in houses lacking adequate ventilation.

-- Tom Carey (tomcarey@mindspring.com), June 11, 1999.

And of course we should mention that radon is of a concern if you are concerned about cancer, due to the fact that counties in the U.S. that exhibit higher concentrations of radon have lower rates of cancer. Sorry no click through. If anybody want to look up the original article, Access To Energy in the last few months reviewed the article.

"True about thorium in lantern mantles. True that it's not much. But-- " But what? Finish the sentence.

-- Ken Seger (kenseger@earthlink.net), June 11, 1999.

How about your TV it gives off radiation how many children do you expect to have and what about all that radiation that falls from the sky every day? Do you live near granite rock it gives off radon gasses that will give you lung cancer it will be in your basement. Do you use a cell phone it will expose you too.

-- Bubba (Badhabbit@world.com), June 11, 1999.

The only dangerous radiation source most of us are exposed to is the same one millions intentionally expose their naked hide to each summer. Seems they LIKE mild radiation burns.

-- Paul Davis (davisp1953@yahoo.com), June 11, 1999.

Bubba and Paul:

Look up the difference between "ionizing" and "non-ionizing" radiation. Your are comparing apples and telephone poles :>

-- klm (klm@nwhre.not), June 11, 1999.