On Tue, 13 Apr 2004 21:24:26 GMT, Gary S. Idontwantspam@net wrote:

Holding it in your hands is more of an issue if
A) you have some sort of wound, and some could contact your
bloodstream, or more likely

Mercury can be forced through a solid plate of steel. Such is its
ability to migrate through barriers.

B) if you do not _thoroughly_ clean it off your hands before touching
food, rubbing your eyes, smoking a ciggie, etc.

Hi Gary,

I just attended a Nanotech seminar presentation 4 hours ago on "The
Collapse of Langmuir Monolayers" that showed the human body has
roughly 2M² of skin surface area, OR 100M² of Lung surface area, OR
300M² of Gastro Intestinal surface area. The later two have a
monomolecular air/water interface - the Langmuir layer.

The decay products of nuclear breakdown (the electron emission) is no
hazard due to its inability to puncture the dermal layer - inside the
body it leads to chromosomal breakdowns that gives rise to cancerous
growths. Same vector, two different paths separated by lack of
caution in the errant belief about exposure levels leads to grief.
[Another lesson learned in close proximity to the Boomers, and 24
Nuclear warheads stored within 10 feet of my workbench aboard ship.]

73's
Richard Clark, KB7QHC