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Re: (meteorobs) Microscopic shuttle debris
nitrogen tetroxide - should be immediately
oxidized, w/o residue
monomethyl hydrazine - leaves residue but, under
high heat
re-entry conditions, all residuals should be
oxidized.
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, February 03, 2003 7:36
AM
Subject: Re: (meteorobs) Microscopic
shuttle debris
In a message dated 2/3/2003 4:04:29 AM Eastern Standard
Time, tkreyche@well.com
writes:
Subj:RE: (meteorobs) Microscopic shuttle debris
Date:2/3/2003 4:04:29 AM Eastern Standard Time
From:tkreyche@well.com
Reply-to:meteorobs@atmob.org
To:meteorobs@atmob.org
CC:cferriday@adelphiadot net
Sent from the Internet
He's talking about documented evidence. There are
certainly cases where people go to hospitals because they've been alarmed by
scare tactics propagated by the news media, they got the flu and started
feeling nauseous and thought they might be poisoned, they swallowed some gas
they were siphoning out of a tractor, have breathing phobias, they're trying
to scam some kind of disability payments or whatever. There is no doubt that
the shuttle was carrying toxic substances and that some of this made it
earth and it may have sickened some people. But I'd bet that non-associated
circumstances outweigh actual shuttle related problems 1000:1.
-----Original Message-----
From:
owner-meteorobs@atmob.org [mailto:owner-meteorobs@atmob.org] On Behalf Of
CHRISTINECissy@aol.com
Sent: Sunday, February 02, 2003 9:47
PM
To: meteorobs@atmob.org
Cc:
cferriday@adelphiadot net
Subject: Re: (meteorobs) Microscopic
shuttle debris
In a message dated 2/2/2003 7:10:27 PM Eastern Standard
Time, cferriday@adelphiadot net writes:
Christine, can you supply
any references on the fact that
"so many have been sickened by coming in
contact...."
I've not heard, nor seen, any documented reference
to
sickness
thanks
chuck
ferriday
Dear TK:
It is well known that hospital
records are confidential unless some "greater
authority" decides to subpoena them for the greater
good.
On CNN last evening it was on the news that there were people
who had symptoms of respiratory distress who had touched Columbia shuttle
debris, and had gone to the emergency room before being told by the
media that respiratory distress was one of the possible side
effects.
I don't see what the debate is. If someone wants
documented evidence then you are going to have to either go down to TX/LA
yourselves and interrogate the hospitals or interview personally those
admitted themselves to the hospitals after coming in contact with Columbia
debris, or wait for CNN to report it.
It is kind of like playing
Russian Roulette, don't you think? The cold hard facts are right in
front of you, as they are related to chemicals may have contaminated some of
the debris. It clearly states the risk of coming in contact with those
chemicals, up to and including death, in some cases severe symptoms
occurring in days after contact is made, and then NASA says it is too late,
there can be no treatment at that point, because too much damage is done to
the internal organs.
So, is it worth it to throw caution to the wind;
and say because I cannot gain access to medical data and personal medical
records that it is worth the extreme health risk to each one of us, to do
microanalysis on debris that only NASA and the independent investigation
party has any business in doing?
I would not want to be that one in a
thousand that you quote, who finds out that it is not a phobia, the flu or
in their mind because of a so called scare tactic. IF just one
individual dies from coming into contact with the Columbia Shuttle debris,
especially when dealing with micro-particle analysis, which is more easily
breathed in, then that is one more unnecessary death to this whole
tragedy.
So the individual must weigh the risks and make the decision
themselves. But making light of it and guessing at the reasons those
persons were admitted to the emergency room is not the
answer
.
Chuck,
It has been all over CNN and Fox news.
Approximately 70 people who have come in contact with debris from the shuttle
have sought care from area hospitals, some of which have complained of
respiratory distress.
From:http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/space/02/02/sprj.colu.toxicdot debris/index.html
CNN SPECIAL REPORT Sunday, February 2, 2003
Posted: 10:54 PM EST (0354 GMT)
Sunday, February 2, 2003 Posted: 10:54 PM EST (0354
GMT)
Four
compounds from shuttle can harm on contact
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN)
-- Four compounds used on the space shuttle Columbia could pose an
immediate hazard to people on the ground, a NASA spokeswoman said Sunday.
The deadliest chemical of the four would not provide any warning to
someone who touched it, according to toxicology databases.
The
compounds are: two forms of hydrazine, nitrogen tetroxide and a pure form of
ammonia. Raw hydrazine fueled the shuttle's auxiliary power units, which
generated hydraulic pressure for various functions in the shuttle. Another
form of the chemical, monomethyl hydrazine, fueled the shuttle's maneuvering
systems while it was in space, said Randy Azera, a former NASA engineer and
consultant to CNN.
Both forms of hydrazine are clear, flammable
liquids. They can irritate the eyes, skin and respiratory system and cause
vomiting, diarrhea, tremors, convulsions and permanent damage to internal
organs. They are considered "immediately dangerous to life" at a concentration
of 50 parts per million. They are not considered to have warning signs of
contact but can be detected in the blood of an exposed person.
Anyone
who suspects contact with the chemicals is urged to seek medical
help.
Flushing with water for at least 15 minutes is recommended after
suspected contact.
Nitrogen tetroxide and monomethyl hydrazine are
"hypergolic" propellants, meaning they ignite spontaneously when they come in
contact with each other, a useful property for maneuvering systems. Nitrogen
tetroxide is a reddish-brown gas at room temperature and has a "pungent,
sweetish" smell, according to experts. It can injure the eyes and skin on
contact, and, if inhaled, can damage the lungs. A single exposure can prove
fatal, but only high concentrations produce immediate symptoms.
Warning signs of contact might not appear for hours after exposure,
and extreme symptoms might not show up for days, so a victim might be unaware
he or she has been exposed until it is too late for treatment.
People
who suspect contact with the chemical are urged to flush their body and
clothes with large amounts of water, and, if necessary, remove their clothing
and bathe with soap and water at least 15 minutes. Eyes should be held open
and flushed with water for at least as long. People who suspect contact should
be taken to a hospital or doctor as soon as possible.
Pure ammonia is
a clear liquid at normal temperatures with a pungent smell. It was used as a
coolant to remove heat from the electrical systems on the orbiter engines. It
can blister a person's lungs if it is inhaled and can cause death in high
concentrations.
TO REPORT DEBRIS
NASA urges people not to go near debris from Columbia
because it could contain toxic substances. People who find debris are asked to
call (281) 483-3388. NASA has also set up a Web site to collect
information that may be helpful in the investigation of the shuttle
disaster.
----- Original Message -----
From: CHRISTINECissy@aol.com
To: meteorobs@atmob.org
Sent: Sunday, February 02, 2003 11:13 AM
Subject: Re:
(meteorobs) Microscopic shuttle debris
Thank you Thomas for
sharing that thought with us. It had not occurred to me. What
interesting data could one culminate from this with reference to the
accident?
In the quest for knowledge, to exercise the utmost caution
when doing so is of paramount importance as we do not know of what
potentially toxic substances these micro-particles of the shuttle may be
contaminated with and so many have been sickened by coming in contact with
larger pieces of debris.
Chris
References: