Missing Wal-Mart exit signs could be used to make a dirty bomb!

[Atreus21]

Originally posted by: Socio
Hot and gone, Wal-Mart signs prompt NRC action

Federal regulators have instructed dozens of companies to count their exit signs that use a low-level radioactive compound and report any that are missing, a directive issued after Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said it could not find 15,000 of the signs.

The world's largest retailer said Tuesday it has checked all of its U.S. stores and removed any glow-in-the-dark signs that use tritium, a hydrogen isotope that, when used in the signs, has a radioactive strength similar to that of a smoke alarm.

The tritium gas in these signs is in a small quantity but the combined gas from 15,000 of them could be used to create a pretty deadly dirty bomb.

I do find it odd that so many of them are missing, I can see some falling off and then tossed in the trash instead of being disposal of properly, but 15,000?

Doc Oc is at it again.

 

[Atreus21]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
Did they set us up the bomb yet?

It's set up us the bomb, thanks.

The president has been kidnapped by ninjas. You a bad enough dude?

 

[JohnOfSheffield]

Originally posted by: Socio
Hot and gone, Wal-Mart signs prompt NRC action

Federal regulators have instructed dozens of companies to count their exit signs that use a low-level radioactive compound and report any that are missing, a directive issued after Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said it could not find 15,000 of the signs.

The world's largest retailer said Tuesday it has checked all of its U.S. stores and removed any glow-in-the-dark signs that use tritium, a hydrogen isotope that, when used in the signs, has a radioactive strength similar to that of a smoke alarm.

The tritium gas in these signs is in a small quantity but the combined gas from 15,000 of them could be used to create a pretty deadly dirty bomb.

I do find it odd that so many of them are missing, I can see some falling off and then tossed in the trash instead of being disposal of properly, but 15,000?

I could make a worse one with some iodine, some ammonia and... well i really don't need more than that.

 

[JohnOfSheffield]

Originally posted by: Vic
The OP is a moron. Tritium is an isotope of hydrogen that is only weakly radioactive with a half-life of more than 12 years. The real concern here is it's VERY expensive, one of the world's most valuable substances by weight.

Leave it to vic to bring out the real concern on an issue. It rarely fails.