upon an article on The Straight Dope website that explained how lantern mantles used to contain the radioactive material thorium oxide. It's an incandescent material that greatly increases the light output of the lantern when it's heated in the flame. At least until the early 90s Coleman used thorium in their mantles until replacing it with non-radioactive yttrium.Seems thorium's radioactivity is mostly emitted as alpha particles which we all know don't travel too far from home. But it does explain Uncle Willard's problem with his right testacle which shriveled up like a raisin back in the 70s. Seems back in Willard's woodsman days he used to carry spare mantles in the watch pocket of his Levis.
Also explains why Cousin Cole has six fingers on his left hand.
Man can he play the banjo.
1 comment:
Your References to Alpha Radionuclides and the damage they may cause is misleading. Alpha wouldn't penetrate the pants the man was wearing so you must be refering to low level beta - gamma activity doing the damage you were talking about. That would be for all cases of physical exposure to coleman lantern mantles for very long periods of time. Airborne inhalation would be the problem in an enclosed none ventilated area with a burning mantle.
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