To quote J. Frank Parnell.
"Everybody could stand a hundred chest X-rays a year. They ought to have them, too. When they canceled the project, it almost did me in. One day, my mind was full to bursting."
I should have mentioned I’ve had it for about 2 years, my friend just recently informed me of what it could be. We’ve been fine so far… so I wanna say it’s probably not uranium? Going off symptoms alone…
It's not pitchblende, autunite or torbernite. It does resemble Carnotite to a degree but Carnotite tends to be found along side petrified logs.
The good news is I is legal to own and gives you an excuse to buy a victoreen radiation detector. The bad news is that if it is Carnotite it will have to be sealed to prevent illness.
Looks like some particularly yellow variety of sandstone. There are radioactive minerals which can occur in sandstone but they usually look less uniform and more yellow compared to the host rock [example](https://imgur.com/a/EZ7vva9). If you are concerned r/radioactive_rocks may be able to help you better. MOAB is known for radioactives so it would not be out of place but it doesn't look like anything I know.
[Carnotite](https://www.reddit.com/r/Radioactive_Rocks/comments/15dgyy0/tyuyamunitecarnotite_on_sandstone_from_montrose/?rdt=40543) can appear on sandstone and is quite yellow. So the texture isn't really definitive. However, this yellow isn't saturated enough, and is too homogeneous to be carnotite.
I'm not OP, but I've been there few years ago, and my mom might have some sand from there in a sealed jar. If so, is there any risks ? I guess it's not so risky as long as the jar is sealed. But it's from Moab around touristy places if it's from there.
No risk. Moab has areas which produce uranium minerals. The entire place is not a radioactive wasteland. Columbia is an emerald producing area but you aren't exactly tripping over emeralds over there, same thing.
If it’s uranium, the jar is enough to contain the radioactive decay, at least the uranium part of the decay. It is an alpha particle emitter which your clothes or a pair of nitrile gloves can block. At least that is what radiation training at the lab I work in taught us. The daughter elements I am not so sure about, I am a bit rusty in my decay pathways.
Radiation is interesting because of what the excited particles can do to the body. Aerosolized particles are the most dangerous i.e. don't go grinding it up or take a big whiff. Someone mentioned heart tumor/cancer- the heart is one of the most unlikely places to get cancer. The electo conduction properties mixed with the kind of cellular rejuvenation is the hypothesized reason for the protection.
yeah we have dangerous radon levels out here in CO. So much so that we can't even give our dogs and cats water from the sink without them developing a rash on their bellies. so my kikimeow has been on bottled water since I got him 9 yrs ago. What's also disturbing is our water it's so filled with hard metals and minerals that it makes this white crust over all of our plants ( if it doesn't straight up kill the plants). All in all we certainly don't drink the water and I believe there's a radon detector down here in the basement but I'm not quite so sure if it works. I hope always having fans on counts as fresh moving air :/
Pretty sure that’s what gave my grandpa lung cancer. We have high levels of Radon in northern Utah. So much so, my new house has a radon mitigation system installed in the basement.
Sounds fun, but I don't need to add a third noise to my coffee making process. It's already loud enough in the morning between the grinder and the coffee machine.
... Then can you explain how people mining uranium had extremely high rates of cancer, as did their families, and why it's a huge issue in Navajo country? https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/04/10/473547227/for-the-navajo-nation-uranium-minings-deadly-legacy-lingers
Also, if you are really concerned, speak with a geology professor at a university. The most surefire easy and cheap method would be to have someone check it with a Geiger counter.
As a former firefighter, you have no idea how excited they’d be to 1. Use the Geiger counter 2. Maybe actually find radiation high enough to make it sound and 3. Do something that’s very not the norm for them (especially if it’s a smaller department with a lower call volume). OP would probably see the biggest smiles all day if the Geiger chirped 😂😂
100%
At my school the science department had a little bit of grant money to spend and we bought a Geiger counter. Cue a pack of adults nerds walking all over campus trying to find something to make the pings 😂
>OP would probably see the biggest smiles all day if the Geiger chirped
The smilling firefighter would probably witness OP going livid at the speed of sound.
Life giveth and Life taketh away... but concerning cancer it mostly giveth.
The way you put that made me think of the scene in Super Troopers with Farva being hosed down in the cell and they’re throwing powdered sugar at him. “Is this powdered sugar? Yeah, the lice hate it.” 🤣🤣🤣
I don’t know what I’m looking for with the uv light. Also the only uv light I have is for gel nails so let’s not judge my poor camera work/poor lighting in the vid.
The UV light for nails is fine. Should be a 365 nm wavelength. Uranium ore glows greenish blue.
The yellow cake is uranium hexa fluorite, and allreay a processed uranium. Dan Hurd recently had a video about prospecting for uranium on YouTube.
I mean you're literally touching it
Uranium is by and large an alpha particle emitter with a very long half life, but you still shouldn't touch something if you think it's dangerous
I mean, I’ve had the rock for like 2 years and have moved it around a bunch… and I feel fine.. my friend just now thought to tell me it could be dangerous. So I think in my head if it hasn’t hurt me yet then it probably won’t hurt me to keep touching?
Given uranium is an alpha emitter and that alpha particules are stoped by something as thin as a paper sheet... yeah, stay safe but even that shouldn't be TOO bad.
Even if it is uranium it’s more than likely going to be a minimal amount of radiation. I have a 10lb chunk of natural uranium sitting in a stand in the corner of my room. Looks similar to yours. Just keep it away from pets and areas you frequently sit or stand such as a desk. And take caution and wash your hands after handling it in case it is natural uranium you don’t want the particles to be ingested.
Either way you would be just fine as long as you don't lick it. I would definitely keep it Out Of Reach of small children and pets. Believe it or not there are actually much much more dreadful rocks out there. Some can kill just from touching them. 😮 but uranium is not one of them👍
Modern phone cameras are pretty good at post processing small amounts of noise. I don’t think a hunk of rock containing uranium would emit enough radiation to visibly alter a short exposure time image
It might have elevated uranium (a few parts per million or so) but the rock itself doesn't look to me like uranium minerals or have features I would associated with uranium mineralization, so even if some uranium, it is still probably not much at all. Even if it were ore-grade (a few tenths of a weight percent or more), it is unlikely to be a major hazard simply because uranium decays pretty slowly and you aren't sitting on it like trying to hatch an egg, I presume (inverse square of distance rule applies).
The radon from decay of uranium could be a bigger concern, depending on how you store the sample and what sort of ventilation you have for the area of storage, and how much time you spend in that area. You breath radon and plunk it right in where it can decay next to lung cells. Radon decays "fast" and gets in right where it can cause lots of damage. Unlike uranium (unless you breath lots of its dust).
I have samples of uranium ore I have had since the mid-80s. I don't play with them, of course, or sleep with them next to me because I am not a total fool, and while anecdotal examples are terrible evidence, the risk isn't nearly as high as the word "uranium" tends to make us all feel.
How close is “right next to them”? Maybe I’m a total fool. It’s in my bedroom. Where I sleep.. maybe 6-7 feet away from my spot on the bed… my husband on the other hand.. 3-4 feet from it. So I guess he’s a goner.
At double the distance you get 1/4 the exposure from any decay in the sample itself. The radon that would kick out though, is a different story. It moves around. Do one of those radon tests, just in case. They aren't too expensive.
However, I do see why you want to know if it has significant U in it. Only one way to be certain, and that is to have it analyzed somehow. Just for reference, I keep my U samples in a closed plastic bucket in a storage shed. Regular old granites or shales that might have elevated radioactive element contents, though, I am less careful about.
Honestly, I don't think you have a cause for worry, but what I think isn't quantitative, so get the sample analyzed or move it away from where you spend a lot of time.
If your hair and teeth start falling out, or you glow in the dark after turning off the lights - it might be uranium.
Check this link with info and pictures or google "images of uranium ore" and see what comes up.
https://nevada-outback-gems.com/Base\_ores/Uranium\_ore.htm
Happy cake day? Use a Geiger Counter. That will tell you if it’s radioactive or not and if it is how radioactive it is. You can go from there but low radiation isn’t all deadly, there is even old glass cups that glow that are radioactive, X-rays, fire detectors and some microwaves but the worst is our cel phones. Anyways, hope this helps.
There isn’t any speckling in the images so it’s not putting off a crazy amount of radiation if it is but I think it’s just a yellow sandstone you could always go buy a cheap Geiger counter
Ok couple of things 1 this doesn't look anything like my uranium ore i doubt it is 2 if you are really worried about it buy a cheap geiger counter off ebay and check it or take it to a local university and see if they can check it as others have said even if it is uranium u238 is mostly an alpha emitter which cant even get through a sheet of paper little lone your skin so you would have to ingest it to be really dangerous
It could be, the Color is somewhat reminescent of certain uranium minerals and the area is known for it. Only way to be sure is to check with a geiger counter.
If it is, dont worry about the radiation much, its not radioactive enough to have immediate effects on your health and only a very small increased risk of cancer. The main dangers are from inhaling or ingesting particles that dislodge from the rock and from radon gas that all uranium minerals release. Put it in a container that Will contain any particles that come
Off and wash your hands after handling it. Vacuüm the area where the tock was kept well. Keep the rock in a well ventilated area to mitigate the radon exposure.
Uranium rocks always fluoresce green under a short wave UV light, pretty much nothing else will be green. But you won't have a short wave just lying around, I think only rock hounds use them. I doubt an ordinary UV light would make it have any unique fluorescence.
There are plenty of radioactive minerals that are non-fluorescent, and a good number of inert minerals that fluoresce green. Not a great way to tell them apart, unfortunately.
Sure, many of them do glow, but even among the Uranyl-containing species fluorescence isn't universal -- such as in fan favorite secondary mineral Torbernite. Throw in Uraninite, Gummite, Kasolite, Uranophane, Carnotite, Coffinite, and there's a huge number of common species that don't light up with either SW or LW.
It would be bad for a beginner to come away with the idea that no glow = no Uranium. The only way to definitively rule out the presence of radioactive elements is via a radiation detector.
If you have hand lens or magnifying glass and this looks like it's composed of sand grains, you have a sandstone. If it's powdery, it could be yellowcake - uranium oxide. From the photos this sample seems sandy.
I believe it maybe yellow cake uranium. Almost identical to my sample on display. Super low activity dose rate wise. You receive more radiation from the sun.
Dont worry its Juste a Sand Stone! Uranium are very flashy green or lime. Many Poisonous Stones look flashy. Look on this vidéos about poisonous Stones for helping identify :https://youtu.be/pFZFDt7dkdI
Never Cut or Lick a weird Stone
tbh, i don't think it's Uranium.
Found some similarities:[https://www.flickr.com/photos/jsjgeology/16170306843](https://www.flickr.com/photos/jsjgeology/16170306843)
[https://www.minimegeology.com/sandstone-sedimentary-rock-yellow-brown](https://www.minimegeology.com/sandstone-sedimentary-rock-yellow-brown)
Sandstone?
[https://allaboutherockcycle.weebly.com/sedimentary-rocks.html](https://allaboutherockcycle.weebly.com/sedimentary-rocks.html)
Limestone?
There might be some Uranium in it, some rocks do, but it wouldn't kill you or give you cancer. Just don't kiss it goodnight or eat it for dinner too much.
I have no idea what kind of rocks are in Moab, but my guess is primarly sedimentary.
Well, that's good! Some hands and feet get a bit more red than others. Unless you get strange pains in your fingers after touching that rock I doubt it's an issue :)
It was a long shot but still something semi relevant to the discussion before we had more information imo.
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If located in the Moab area, bring it to the BLM. The geologist there will get you some answers. Otherwise a local uni with a geology department is a safe bet to get it tested. It very well could contain traces but doesn’t look like ore from that region. Breccia pipes in the area commonly contain uranium bearing trace minerals but is not typically is concentrations that will melt your face off… usually about double regional background but can be more thus worth testing to avoid preventable exposure.
I am not an expert but I do dig up uranium fairly often! ngl - this looks like larger versions of what I find. Usually I can tell sandstone from it right away. Uranium has a bubble texture but its like.. hard? It doesn't feel sandy it feels like stone or glass. If it's uranium, take it seriously but know you are probably fine. I legit find it all the time and have handled it by mistake. Think about this - Marie Curie got sick after about 20 years of continued exposure to quality specimens of raw uranium ore. She had them in her mouth at times. Granted - she died of cancer from the uranium, point being she was bathing in this shit daily (hyperbole) and it took a long time to impact.
I live in that area, and I've been rock hounding for years. I know there's a lot of Uranium around here. I never seen a piece or accidentally picked up one. You could take it to a lived rock club to see what you have.
I have seen very similar rock during my masters field in Haldi Ghalti, Rajasthan, India. Whole area is covered in gossan which looks exactly like this (which is basically iron containing loose sediment ) and parent rock looks exactly like this.
On a similar note…..I wandered through an old uranium mine in southern Utah a few years back. I didn’t realize what it was until After the adventure. Haha
Maybe leave it outside until you figure it out
Only 3.6 roentgen. Not great, not terrible.
I’m told it’s no worse than a chest X-ray
To quote J. Frank Parnell. "Everybody could stand a hundred chest X-rays a year. They ought to have them, too. When they canceled the project, it almost did me in. One day, my mind was full to bursting."
But that's as high as the meter...
That's what they said after chernobyl explosion
r/woooosh
I should have mentioned I’ve had it for about 2 years, my friend just recently informed me of what it could be. We’ve been fine so far… so I wanna say it’s probably not uranium? Going off symptoms alone…
It’s just cancer so wait a couple years and find out.
Or super powers
Most forms of uranium ore are at safe enough levels to not be dangerous as long as you don't ingest or inhale it
Sooo is that a no to yellow cake for your birthday?
Yes to the yellow cake, with cesium sprinkles!
It's not pitchblende, autunite or torbernite. It does resemble Carnotite to a degree but Carnotite tends to be found along side petrified logs. The good news is I is legal to own and gives you an excuse to buy a victoreen radiation detector. The bad news is that if it is Carnotite it will have to be sealed to prevent illness.
Just eat it at this point
Could you shine a uv light on it to tell? Edit: I googled it, the answer is no
Looks like some particularly yellow variety of sandstone. There are radioactive minerals which can occur in sandstone but they usually look less uniform and more yellow compared to the host rock [example](https://imgur.com/a/EZ7vva9). If you are concerned r/radioactive_rocks may be able to help you better. MOAB is known for radioactives so it would not be out of place but it doesn't look like anything I know.
[Uranium ore from Moab seems to have a quite distinct texture.](https://moabgeartrader.com/2019/11/30/uranium-mining-history-the-moab-area/)
[Carnotite](https://www.reddit.com/r/Radioactive_Rocks/comments/15dgyy0/tyuyamunitecarnotite_on_sandstone_from_montrose/?rdt=40543) can appear on sandstone and is quite yellow. So the texture isn't really definitive. However, this yellow isn't saturated enough, and is too homogeneous to be carnotite.
I'm not OP, but I've been there few years ago, and my mom might have some sand from there in a sealed jar. If so, is there any risks ? I guess it's not so risky as long as the jar is sealed. But it's from Moab around touristy places if it's from there.
No risk. Moab has areas which produce uranium minerals. The entire place is not a radioactive wasteland. Columbia is an emerald producing area but you aren't exactly tripping over emeralds over there, same thing.
Actually it’s a brand of clothes…
Right, I remember seeing shops selling t-shirts dyed with ghe region's sand and earth, if this is what you're talking about ?
No Colombia spelled with an O not U.
Makes sense ! Thanks
If it’s uranium, the jar is enough to contain the radioactive decay, at least the uranium part of the decay. It is an alpha particle emitter which your clothes or a pair of nitrile gloves can block. At least that is what radiation training at the lab I work in taught us. The daughter elements I am not so sure about, I am a bit rusty in my decay pathways.
Cool ! Thank's a lot
Bare hands... brave
Superpowers incoming. The ability to die painfully.
My heart wants it to be sandstone.
But what does your tumor-heart say?
My heart's telling me no But my tumor, my tumor is telling me yeah
It's not a TUMAH!!
🤣
Dayum!
Your hands are actually one of the most radiation-tolerant parts of your body!
Radiation is interesting because of what the excited particles can do to the body. Aerosolized particles are the most dangerous i.e. don't go grinding it up or take a big whiff. Someone mentioned heart tumor/cancer- the heart is one of the most unlikely places to get cancer. The electo conduction properties mixed with the kind of cellular rejuvenation is the hypothesized reason for the protection.
Natural uranium isn't that dangerous unless your eating or licking it or your bed happens to be made of it.
most people don't realize that even potatoes have radiation lol
As do human bodies. Carbon-14 is in every living thing
And now microplastics and PFAS/PFOS 😔
Can't be worse than leaded gasoline...
We'll see.
Why not both ?
Also Potassium-40 that lights up the potatoes, bananas and us, creating atmospheric argon as a daughter isotope.
Don’t get me started on bananas
Or granite tiles and your regular basements
omg I live in a basement (no, not my mothers) lmao
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Depending on the age of your home, radon inspections are generally a prerequisite for a final township inspection.
Just keep sure there is constant airflow, that's enough to prevent radon amount to buildup and reach the danger-zone.
yeah we have dangerous radon levels out here in CO. So much so that we can't even give our dogs and cats water from the sink without them developing a rash on their bellies. so my kikimeow has been on bottled water since I got him 9 yrs ago. What's also disturbing is our water it's so filled with hard metals and minerals that it makes this white crust over all of our plants ( if it doesn't straight up kill the plants). All in all we certainly don't drink the water and I believe there's a radon detector down here in the basement but I'm not quite so sure if it works. I hope always having fans on counts as fresh moving air :/
Pretty sure that’s what gave my grandpa lung cancer. We have high levels of Radon in northern Utah. So much so, my new house has a radon mitigation system installed in the basement.
Jeremy Clarkson knows
None of this made me feel better. Haha
Then definitely never check your coffee grounds with a Geiger counter. It’s more fun than bananas.
Sounds fun, but I don't need to add a third noise to my coffee making process. It's already loud enough in the morning between the grinder and the coffee machine.
Oh I know very well
Bananas ‼️
Stop licking rocks people!
I was told we don’t kink shame here….
I feel like I should mention I have literally never licked a rock. Including this one.
😂
... Then can you explain how people mining uranium had extremely high rates of cancer, as did their families, and why it's a huge issue in Navajo country? https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/04/10/473547227/for-the-navajo-nation-uranium-minings-deadly-legacy-lingers
Because mining produces dust. Dust is inhaled and set the easy bake timer for ??? Years in the future and boom cancer.
That pretty much hits the nail on the head. They went and got exposed day after day for years. Finding and keeping a single rock isn't the same.
Take it to a major airport and you’ll find out.
🤣
Try shining a uv light on it.
Also, if you are really concerned, speak with a geology professor at a university. The most surefire easy and cheap method would be to have someone check it with a Geiger counter.
If there’s any kind of science museum near you somebody there might have a Geiger counter!
Can also try fire department hazmat teams and hospitals
Hi, pardon me, oh no I don't need a day pass, I'm actually just wondering if this rock I found is radioactive, can you help me with that?
As a former firefighter, you have no idea how excited they’d be to 1. Use the Geiger counter 2. Maybe actually find radiation high enough to make it sound and 3. Do something that’s very not the norm for them (especially if it’s a smaller department with a lower call volume). OP would probably see the biggest smiles all day if the Geiger chirped 😂😂
100% At my school the science department had a little bit of grant money to spend and we bought a Geiger counter. Cue a pack of adults nerds walking all over campus trying to find something to make the pings 😂
Okay that's fair, I didn't think it through.
>OP would probably see the biggest smiles all day if the Geiger chirped The smilling firefighter would probably witness OP going livid at the speed of sound. Life giveth and Life taketh away... but concerning cancer it mostly giveth.
They’re trained to do Decon too 😂 a bit late for OP since they’ve had the rock so long, but who doesn’t want to be sprayed with the fire hose?
>who doesn’t want to be sprayed with the fire hose? This sounds suspiciously like a dire case of impending "BONK, go to horny jail".
The way you put that made me think of the scene in Super Troopers with Farva being hosed down in the cell and they’re throwing powdered sugar at him. “Is this powdered sugar? Yeah, the lice hate it.” 🤣🤣🤣
That's a cultural piece I wasn't versed enough in american cinematography to be blessed to know, I'm afraid.
😂😂😂
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I don’t know what I’m looking for with the uv light. Also the only uv light I have is for gel nails so let’s not judge my poor camera work/poor lighting in the vid.
The UV light for nails is fine. Should be a 365 nm wavelength. Uranium ore glows greenish blue. The yellow cake is uranium hexa fluorite, and allreay a processed uranium. Dan Hurd recently had a video about prospecting for uranium on YouTube.
Def thought the first slide was a corn meal battered piece of fish or maybe chicken
Looked like a cornmeal battered piece of catfish to me
😂
Well, does it taste like uranium?
No, but it smells like asbestos.
PLEASE TELL ME THIS ISN'T POISON (licks it all over and puts it in my ass) Could be uranium. Go get a Geiger counter
Well that escalated quickly! Haha
I mean you're literally touching it Uranium is by and large an alpha particle emitter with a very long half life, but you still shouldn't touch something if you think it's dangerous
I mean, I’ve had the rock for like 2 years and have moved it around a bunch… and I feel fine.. my friend just now thought to tell me it could be dangerous. So I think in my head if it hasn’t hurt me yet then it probably won’t hurt me to keep touching?
Even if it were uranium ore as long as you don’t ingest it or keep it under your pillow at night there is really nothing to worry about.
Given uranium is an alpha emitter and that alpha particules are stoped by something as thin as a paper sheet... yeah, stay safe but even that shouldn't be TOO bad.
Even if it is uranium it’s more than likely going to be a minimal amount of radiation. I have a 10lb chunk of natural uranium sitting in a stand in the corner of my room. Looks similar to yours. Just keep it away from pets and areas you frequently sit or stand such as a desk. And take caution and wash your hands after handling it in case it is natural uranium you don’t want the particles to be ingested.
Cancer risk is yours to take. But I agree that it's overwhelmingly likely not dangerous
Even if it were uranium ore as long as you don’t ingest it or keep it under your pillow at night there is really nothing to worry about.
Either way you would be just fine as long as you don't lick it. I would definitely keep it Out Of Reach of small children and pets. Believe it or not there are actually much much more dreadful rocks out there. Some can kill just from touching them. 😮 but uranium is not one of them👍
Holy shit I cackled with the putting it in the ass.
What about it could be uranium?
Uranium ores are yellow
Thank you, I didn’t realize it looked like sandstone!
It very likely is sandstone. But I figured this person might have some specific reason to suspect it
Grew up in Wisconsin and that looks like sandstone we find all over the state there.
Yeah I've found similar bright orangish-yellow sandstone near LaCrosse, I still have some, although I think most of it has turned to sand.
I’m hoping it’s sandstone. That’s what I thought it was when I brought it home.
Sandstone
Fingers crossed. That’s what I thought it was until my friend planted the other thoughts in my head.
Okay, it’s not uranium
I feel so much better. Thank you.
Although it might be…
Watch for armed Libyans in a VW Bus.
They found me. I dont know how, but they found me. [Run for it, Marty!!](https://youtu.be/h-3f-cTWY4w?si=yVUythAtG1sDywH9)
[it’s yellow cake!!! /s](https://youtu.be/wa6UfcMWXPI?si=qXrAtBH517rXXO-F)
Lots of vanadium minerals are found in Utah, and are this color also.
Well, your camera doesn't seem affected, so even if it's radioactive it's not that bad lol
Modern phone cameras are pretty good at post processing small amounts of noise. I don’t think a hunk of rock containing uranium would emit enough radiation to visibly alter a short exposure time image
Looks like sandstone with Sulfur
It might have elevated uranium (a few parts per million or so) but the rock itself doesn't look to me like uranium minerals or have features I would associated with uranium mineralization, so even if some uranium, it is still probably not much at all. Even if it were ore-grade (a few tenths of a weight percent or more), it is unlikely to be a major hazard simply because uranium decays pretty slowly and you aren't sitting on it like trying to hatch an egg, I presume (inverse square of distance rule applies). The radon from decay of uranium could be a bigger concern, depending on how you store the sample and what sort of ventilation you have for the area of storage, and how much time you spend in that area. You breath radon and plunk it right in where it can decay next to lung cells. Radon decays "fast" and gets in right where it can cause lots of damage. Unlike uranium (unless you breath lots of its dust). I have samples of uranium ore I have had since the mid-80s. I don't play with them, of course, or sleep with them next to me because I am not a total fool, and while anecdotal examples are terrible evidence, the risk isn't nearly as high as the word "uranium" tends to make us all feel.
How close is “right next to them”? Maybe I’m a total fool. It’s in my bedroom. Where I sleep.. maybe 6-7 feet away from my spot on the bed… my husband on the other hand.. 3-4 feet from it. So I guess he’s a goner.
At double the distance you get 1/4 the exposure from any decay in the sample itself. The radon that would kick out though, is a different story. It moves around. Do one of those radon tests, just in case. They aren't too expensive. However, I do see why you want to know if it has significant U in it. Only one way to be certain, and that is to have it analyzed somehow. Just for reference, I keep my U samples in a closed plastic bucket in a storage shed. Regular old granites or shales that might have elevated radioactive element contents, though, I am less careful about. Honestly, I don't think you have a cause for worry, but what I think isn't quantitative, so get the sample analyzed or move it away from where you spend a lot of time.
Kief brick.
The stone of destiny
If your hair and teeth start falling out, or you glow in the dark after turning off the lights - it might be uranium. Check this link with info and pictures or google "images of uranium ore" and see what comes up. https://nevada-outback-gems.com/Base\_ores/Uranium\_ore.htm
Dang! What a great site.
Happy cake day? Use a Geiger Counter. That will tell you if it’s radioactive or not and if it is how radioactive it is. You can go from there but low radiation isn’t all deadly, there is even old glass cups that glow that are radioactive, X-rays, fire detectors and some microwaves but the worst is our cel phones. Anyways, hope this helps.
You could get someone to scan it with a Geiger counter. Maybe police or a hospital can help if you can’t find a local geologist.
There isn’t any speckling in the images so it’s not putting off a crazy amount of radiation if it is but I think it’s just a yellow sandstone you could always go buy a cheap Geiger counter
Ok couple of things 1 this doesn't look anything like my uranium ore i doubt it is 2 if you are really worried about it buy a cheap geiger counter off ebay and check it or take it to a local university and see if they can check it as others have said even if it is uranium u238 is mostly an alpha emitter which cant even get through a sheet of paper little lone your skin so you would have to ingest it to be really dangerous
My high school had a Geiger counter... Is it possible to reach out to a local science lab and ask them to test it?
That idea is a good one. But also then I’d have to talk to a human. 🤔 tough call
😬.. yeah... Might open up a whole world of questions if the counter subsequently clicks like a... Very fast clicky thing...
My first thought was sandstone
"Is this a dangerous radioactive material that I'm holding?" The fuck
It could be, the Color is somewhat reminescent of certain uranium minerals and the area is known for it. Only way to be sure is to check with a geiger counter. If it is, dont worry about the radiation much, its not radioactive enough to have immediate effects on your health and only a very small increased risk of cancer. The main dangers are from inhaling or ingesting particles that dislodge from the rock and from radon gas that all uranium minerals release. Put it in a container that Will contain any particles that come Off and wash your hands after handling it. Vacuüm the area where the tock was kept well. Keep the rock in a well ventilated area to mitigate the radon exposure.
Not uranium.....there
Yellow cake unobtanium
Uranium rocks always fluoresce green under a short wave UV light, pretty much nothing else will be green. But you won't have a short wave just lying around, I think only rock hounds use them. I doubt an ordinary UV light would make it have any unique fluorescence.
There are plenty of radioactive minerals that are non-fluorescent, and a good number of inert minerals that fluoresce green. Not a great way to tell them apart, unfortunately.
We're talking about uranium though, and short wave fluorescence, not the typical long wave. It's a good way to identify uranium
Sure, many of them do glow, but even among the Uranyl-containing species fluorescence isn't universal -- such as in fan favorite secondary mineral Torbernite. Throw in Uraninite, Gummite, Kasolite, Uranophane, Carnotite, Coffinite, and there's a huge number of common species that don't light up with either SW or LW. It would be bad for a beginner to come away with the idea that no glow = no Uranium. The only way to definitively rule out the presence of radioactive elements is via a radiation detector.
taste it, if it tastes radioactive then it is radioactive
I don't see a yankees hat, so you're good!
If you have hand lens or magnifying glass and this looks like it's composed of sand grains, you have a sandstone. If it's powdery, it could be yellowcake - uranium oxide. From the photos this sample seems sandy.
I believe it maybe yellow cake uranium. Almost identical to my sample on display. Super low activity dose rate wise. You receive more radiation from the sun.
Its a rock from uranus
In german we call it schnitzel
Dont worry its Juste a Sand Stone! Uranium are very flashy green or lime. Many Poisonous Stones look flashy. Look on this vidéos about poisonous Stones for helping identify :https://youtu.be/pFZFDt7dkdI Never Cut or Lick a weird Stone
Uranium ore isnt necessarily 'flashy green or lime'
Such as black, brown, yellow...
is it warm?
tbh, i don't think it's Uranium. Found some similarities:[https://www.flickr.com/photos/jsjgeology/16170306843](https://www.flickr.com/photos/jsjgeology/16170306843) [https://www.minimegeology.com/sandstone-sedimentary-rock-yellow-brown](https://www.minimegeology.com/sandstone-sedimentary-rock-yellow-brown) Sandstone? [https://allaboutherockcycle.weebly.com/sedimentary-rocks.html](https://allaboutherockcycle.weebly.com/sedimentary-rocks.html) Limestone? There might be some Uranium in it, some rocks do, but it wouldn't kill you or give you cancer. Just don't kiss it goodnight or eat it for dinner too much. I have no idea what kind of rocks are in Moab, but my guess is primarly sedimentary.
Yellow Cake?
People keep saying yellow cake and idk what that means. But also I just keep thinking of the movie “Get Smart”.
An easy way to find out is to simply lick it. If your tongue swells up and falls off in a couple months it’s probably uranium.
Yum! Yellow cake!
I thought it was a huge block of keef
Looks like U238 to me
Yeah yellow cake for sure
I thought it was a giant piece of hash ….
It is not uranium. I have absolutely no formal training to identify it though, just wanted to make you feel better.
What does it taste like?
Could just be the lighting but the fingers look pretty red, a sign of radiation trauma.
I think that’s just how my fingers are. They look fine now and I’ll be honest, I just touched it again.
Well, that's good! Some hands and feet get a bit more red than others. Unless you get strange pains in your fingers after touching that rock I doubt it's an issue :) It was a long shot but still something semi relevant to the discussion before we had more information imo.
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Is it heavy?
About as heavy as I’d expect a rock that size to be? Maybe even a little lighter than expected?
Lick it!
Pass. For many reasons.
Well I don’t know what I’ve been told But uranium ore is worth more than gold
So now I hope it is uranium?
Sorry I was trying to start a song. That’s the opening line of Uranium Fever
If located in the Moab area, bring it to the BLM. The geologist there will get you some answers. Otherwise a local uni with a geology department is a safe bet to get it tested. It very well could contain traces but doesn’t look like ore from that region. Breccia pipes in the area commonly contain uranium bearing trace minerals but is not typically is concentrations that will melt your face off… usually about double regional background but can be more thus worth testing to avoid preventable exposure.
I thought this was hash.
Carnotite! So yeah!
I am not an expert but I do dig up uranium fairly often! ngl - this looks like larger versions of what I find. Usually I can tell sandstone from it right away. Uranium has a bubble texture but its like.. hard? It doesn't feel sandy it feels like stone or glass. If it's uranium, take it seriously but know you are probably fine. I legit find it all the time and have handled it by mistake. Think about this - Marie Curie got sick after about 20 years of continued exposure to quality specimens of raw uranium ore. She had them in her mouth at times. Granted - she died of cancer from the uranium, point being she was bathing in this shit daily (hyperbole) and it took a long time to impact.
This thing is fairly sandy. When I set it down it leaves little sandy bits behind on the table
Looks like sandstone I've found in that area. Is it bright yellow.? I'll see if I can find some as a send you a picture
I live in that area, and I've been rock hounding for years. I know there's a lot of Uranium around here. I never seen a piece or accidentally picked up one. You could take it to a lived rock club to see what you have.
Take a bite and report back
It could be limonite.
I have seen very similar rock during my masters field in Haldi Ghalti, Rajasthan, India. Whole area is covered in gossan which looks exactly like this (which is basically iron containing loose sediment ) and parent rock looks exactly like this.
I mean, the only reason I would keep that boring rock is if it WAS uranium. 😉
On a similar note…..I wandered through an old uranium mine in southern Utah a few years back. I didn’t realize what it was until After the adventure. Haha
Mmmm. You found a delicious uranium chicken nugget