Answer to Question #12840 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"

Category: Popular Culture and Radiation

The following question was answered by an expert in the appropriate field:

Q

I've heard from former researchers at a national laboratory that the worry over exposure to stored uranium ore at the Grand Canyon museum is overblown. From the description of the incident—three buckets of ore sitting near public exhibits—what were the likely exposures and will there be health effects?

A

I assume your questions are prompted by a news article in USA Today on 19 February that stated: "For nearly two decades at the Grand Canyon in Arizona, tourists, employees, and children on tours passed by three paint buckets stored in the national park's museum collection building, unaware that they were being exposed to radiation." The article referred to buckets containing uranium ore that were located in a public area at the Grand Canyon.

Our experts reviewed available information and concluded that uranium ore is a low-risk material that, unless ingested, would not be emitting enough radiation from three buckets to cause harmful effects. 

More detailed information is given in an information sheet by our Health Physics Society experts.

UPDATE: Since we posted the original answer, additional information confirming our expert review has been reported in an article written by Kurt Repanshek on the National Parks Traveler website and in a report jointly authored by the Department of Interior and the National Park Service.

Kelly Classic, CMHP
Editor, Health Physics Society Website

Ask the Experts is posting answers using only SI (the International System of Units) in accordance with international practice. To convert these to traditional units we have prepared a conversion table. You can also view a diagram to help put the radiation information presented in this question and answer in perspective. Explanations of radiation terms can be found here.
Answer posted on 20 February 2019. The information posted on this web page is intended as general reference information only. Specific facts and circumstances may affect the applicability of concepts, materials, and information described herein. The information provided is not a substitute for professional advice and should not be relied upon in the absence of such professional advice. To the best of our knowledge, answers are correct at the time they are posted. Be advised that over time, requirements could change, new data could be made available, and Internet links could change, affecting the correctness of the answers. Answers are the professional opinions of the expert responding to each question; they do not necessarily represent the position of the Health Physics Society.