[time-nuts] How dangerous if Rb lamp broken?

[Volker Esper]

Am 09.07.2013 14:16, schrieb Attila Kinali:
> If radioactivity is a concern, you should stop eating bananas and
> do not go down to your cellar. And for gods sake, stop flying! ;-)
>    
...yes, and don't use mobiles and so on.

Radioactivity is a concern, because I don't have any serious experience 
with it. And I guess, many of us don't. And I totally lack a sense of 
the amounts of radioactive radiation. I know well, what a Volt is or an 
Amp and I know, where I have to put my fingers and where not on my lab 
desk. Going down to my cellar may expose myself to some radiation, but I 
don't work there for hours. Sitting at my lab bench for hours, daily, is 
another thing, if there is a radioactive contamination of an unknown 
radiation dose. Now, that we know, the amount is very little or zero, 
we're all happy. That's all, not more, not less. I only wanted to be 
cautious, and I guess, Hui, too.
> The amount of Rb in a vapor cell is very little. You take in more radiocative
> material by eating a banana. For the Rb to cause serious damage by burning, you need to drop a couple
> of gramms into water. Anything else will not cause a fast enough reaction.
>    
Interesting.
> Beside, you have only a couple of milligram, not enough to cause anythingm
> major.  Also, if the cell is broken it is most likely that the Rb is already
> highly oxidized by the time you open it (and thus mostly harmless, beside
> it's basic behaviour).
>
> Yes. Broken glass is sharp and will cause serious cuts if not handled
> carefully.
>    
I think so. I only wanted to be careful with my advice, since I'm not a 
physicist or a chemist. By the way: I don't eat bananas, but for some 
other reason...

Volker