Fall-out of the Folly - Radioactive Finds

 

This ordinary looking green glass shard inspired this post.

                                       

This is a shard of "Uranium Glass", yes, Bomb-Uranium!  In the late 18th century a bright spark (excuse the pun) a German chemist added uranium to decorative glass for it's fluorescent effect. (I didn't wash this shard, I was afraid - It's radioactive!!

This is what an uranium glass object looks like in normal light

https://www.bidorbuy.co.za/item/228046200/ART_DECO_URANIUM_GLASS_FLOWER_FROG_c1930s.html

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1370720/Japan-nuclear-meltdown-The-Simpsons-episodes-banned-Germany-Switzerland-Austria.htm

Whitefriars glass company in London, England was one of the first to market the glowing glass, but other manufacturers were also quick to realise its sales potential and Uranium glass was produced across Europe and later North America.

Uranium glass was once made into tableware and household items, but fell out of widespread use when the availability of uranium to most industries was sharply curtailed during the Cold War in the 1940s to 1990s.  Objects are now considered antiques or retro-era collectibles, although there has been a minor revival in art glassware. Otherwise, modern uranium glass is now mainly limited to small objects like beads or marbles as scientific or decorative novelties.

https://en.wiedia.org/wiki/Uranium_glass

  If you shine a UV (black) light on uranium glass it glows. 

https://www.olx.co.za/item/uraniumvaseline-glass-wanted-iid-1063053605

Not only did medicine in Victorian times contain, opium and cocaine, the tableware contained Uranium.  What next!

The good news is that I have not seen any 2 headed pigeon's or 3 tailed lizard's ... Mind you there was that giant orange centipede in a boot!

 As I mentioned before, the ancient refuse dump that is the "Folly" was covered in the 1950's so before then it was used to discard various school items, which would've included chemicals from the science labs.  Nowadays we have a company that collects the used chemicals and disposes of it in an environmentally friendly way.  

So forget the carbon dating or dendrochronology grab the Geiger counter and let's see what other radioactive items I have found on the folly!

https://www.pngegg.com/es/png-zxwsq

Just joking, it's not that bad!

Poison

I have found "Poison" bottles, small amber bottles with ridges and 'poison, not to be taken' embossed on them

Batteries

Unfortunately I find many of these.  The custom of dumping batteries in the trash has not changed since 1950, we still throw batteries in the trash.

In addition to the fire danger, batteries can also contain toxic chemicals, including lithium, cadmium, sulfuric acid and lead. If disposed of improperly, these toxic chemicals can leach into the soil and contaminate the groundwater.

For these reasons, it is illegal to put batteries in the garbage or mix them in with the rest of your recycling. 

https://sanjoserecycles.org/national-battery-day-did-you-know-its-dangerous-to-throw-batteries-away/