On 5/13/2013 11:17 AM, BE Arnold wrote:
In high school science class the teacher brought out a
jar full of it and poured it out on the tabletop (it had an edge).
We got to play with it, tried picking it up with our fingers, etc.
No big deal.
If it has been contaminated by an organic, or an acid + organic, and
that is mixed in, the big deal. If it is purely metallic and you have
sense enough not to swallow it, or lick your hands after you handled it
then swallow, then less of a risk than if you get to one of the salts.
it is nasty stuff with neurons, and it could be confirmed today whether
you did yourself in with exposure, because it is forever, it is one of
the things that accumulate in your body for life. Certainly a mass spec
analysis, or a heavy metal assay of your cremains would tell that and
other metals as far as whether they were in your body. Other tests may
hurt if it is done earlier.
It tends to go to bad inconvenient places and stay there, unfortunately.
jim