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Originally Posted by
BurlyGuys
NEVER take lead shielding from xray machines. They have been irradiated and are dangerous. My local scrap yard wont touch them.
Lead doesn't "absorb" radiation in the sense that it will absorb it, and then give it off itself, like "glow in the dark". That's why lead is used in shielding, along with it's density. Lead from an xray machine is completely safe; if you don't believe me haul it to a yard that has radiation detectors, and it won't set them off. I've hauled in a few older machines myself from govt. surplus, never any issues. Think about it. X-ray techs wear lead aprons. If the lead absorbed the radiation, and then gave it off, each tech would be wearing their very own little personal nuke! Cool stuff! As well, something I used to haul regularly for a while was the lead cannisters that hold the vials of radioactive iodine, I think it might have been??, that's used in testing such as angiograms, etc. Wondered what the heck they were the first time I saw them. They're little canisters just slightly bigger inside than the old plastic cans that 35mm film used to come in, but about 1/2" thick and made of lead. Heavy as heck, especially when you got a couple hundred of them. When I noticed the radioactive and biohazard warning stickers on them, I pretty much freaked, and spent a few hours doing research. I calmed down after that. Same deal, no residual radiation or biohazards, completely safe. The stuff inside of them, different story completely. But that was in its own heavy duty cannister, a box within a box if you will. Fun times indeed, until I found out it was safe!
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