Radioactive Items for Sale

Until recently, a number of marketed products had considerable levels of radioactivity. Shown with the Geiger counter are a piece of orange "Fiestaware", a mantle from a camping lantern, and No Salt salt substitute. The orange dish gains its radioactivity from uranium oxides in the orange glaze. This dish measured 20 millirad /hour when the counter was placed directly on it. The mantle measured 9 mr/hr. The No Salt has a lower level of radioactivty from the potassium chloride it contains, measuring 0.2 mr/hr.

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"Radioactive Red" Fiestaware

Orange Fiestaware has long been recognized as one of the most radioactive commercial products you could buy. A non-radioactive version has now replaced it. The orange dish gains its radioactivity from uranium oxides in the orange glaze. This dish measured 20 millirad /hour when the counter was placed directly on it. In the illustration below, the sensitive survey meter with its thin receiving window is placed directly on the dish. The needle reads 2 with a multiple of 10, for 20 mr/hr.

Most uranium compounds are colorful. This orange color may come from the uranium minerals kasolite and curite, which show a vivid orange color.

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Camping Lantern Mantles

Until recently, camping lantern mantles had a considerable amount of radioactivity from the thorium illuminant used on the fabric of the mantle. Packs of mantles like the one shown averaged 9 mr/hr. The one above is showing 10 mr/hr since it is on the 10x scale. Recently obtained mantles showed no measurable radioactivity over background.

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