Latest (and last) Round Of Negative Ion Scalar Energy Ju-Ju - Moar stickers!

It is definitely Th-232. I can't say whether it is an oxide or dioxide, but the spectrum is pretty much identical to a Thorium gas mantle. I do think the calibration is a little out on my radiacode but as the spectrums are the same there is no doubt it is Th-232. I have shoved my Radiacode in a bag of K-40 for a few days and I'll see where that lines up on the spectrum. My little bottle of Thorium powder is almost the same activity as the gas mantle - Thorium powder is 2.31μSv/hr - gas mantle is 2.48μSv/hr.

 

 

I found this interesting article about how postal packages are screened for radiation. It seems they are looking mainly for isotopes that can be used to make dirty bombs and such. It does say 'In one recent case, we discovered a significant amount of thorium, a radioactive element.'
https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/identifying-threats/how-postal-packages-are-screened-for-radiation/

My Radiacode was out of calibration so I am currently recalibrating it. This will probably take a few days as I want to make sure it is correct with a few isotopes. I'll grab another spectrum from the Thorium powder I have when I trust the calibration.

Quite a lot from what I have been reading! 

I have been searching about for answers and found quite a bit of literature detailing what can and can't be sent, internationally, and the detection methods used, again, internationally. It is a lot to read and will take time to digest and I have literally skimmed the surface. My initial findings seem to reveal they do little to monitor for alpha, beta and low level gamma. Basically, as long as the package is not harmful to a person handling or receiving it, it will pass through the system. I saw a figure of 0.4 mSv/h for ores and physical concentrates of uranium and thorium. That seems quite a lot to me. A reason may be that people don't spend too long around the packages (the dose) is a factor in determining the maximum emission level. I haven't read that much of the docs though, so that is just an assumption.

My search started with my country's postal system ( link here ). It categorically states:

Radioactive materials and samples that are classified as radioactive using Table 2-12 of the latest edition of the International Civil Aviation Organization's Technical Instructions eg fissile material (uranium 235, etc), radioactive waste material, thorium or uranium ores and luminous dials from aircraft

• International – not allowed in the mail
• UK – not allowed in the mail

Radioactive material and samples that are not classified as dangerous goods in the latest edition of the Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air published by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) such as samples of granite rock

• UK & International – allowed with restrictions

1. Surround with cushioning material eg bubble wrap
2. The sender's name and return address must be clearly visible on the outer packaging

So I needed to look at the latest edition of the Technical Instructions for the Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods by Air published by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Sadly (for us) this is a salable item for $272.00. I did find an older version online though, the 2015-2016 edition, and I can't see that much changing between then and now. I also found a recent revision document: REVISIONS INCORPORATED IN THE 2023-2024 EDITION. The links for these:
https://www.utikad.org.tr/images/Mevzuat/icaotechnicalinstructionsforthesafetransportofdangerousgoodsbyair-9608.pdf
https://www.icao.int/safety/DangerousGoods/Documents/RevisionsIncorporatedIn2023_2024EditionOfTechnicalInstructionsForTheSafeTransportOfDangerousGoodsByAir.pdf
And if you want to purchase the latest edition:  https://store.icao.int/en/shop-by-areas/safety/dangerous-goods

Those documents show what can and can't be shipped using the international postal system. I suspect there are many more localized documents and policies around the world, but seems our Post Office just adheres to international standards. It's probably much easier to search for terms like 'radiation', 'radioactive', 'thorium' as they contain a lot of information (998 pages) and a good amount is not relevant to radiation. 

I then went on to search for info about detecting radioactive packages in the postal system and found this really interesting document by the IAEA:  Monitoring for Radioactive Material in International Mail Transported by Public Postal Operators
It goes on to explain about the types or radiation and methods used for detection. Mainly Gamma and Neutron radiation, the stuff terrorists may use for dirty bombs or other weapons. They do this in various ways from portable devices that can be used in yards and ports (RPMs), conveyor mounted detection (RCMs) and personal radiation detectors (PRDs). Essentially from what I can gather, unless the big monitors are sent into alarm, the package passes. If they are sent into alarm a person using a PRD will investigate.

SCOPE
This publication provides guidance on control procedures and equipment that can be used for the detection of gamma and neutron radiation as a result of the illicit trafficking of radioactive material in public mail and private mail carriers. It does not describe specific detection procedures for alpha or beta emitting radiation sources. It gives a qualitative characterization of the radiation hazards caused by radioactive material in public mail. It also describes countermeasures and defines a response procedure in the case of the detection of radioactive material.

It later goes on to mention:

Other instruments that are not covered here are the devices used by expert responders who move to the scene in the case of a serious incident or the danger of a radiological malevolent act. These responders are equipped with more sophisticated instruments, such as alpha and beta contamination probes, portable gamma spectrometers with medium and high resolution detectors, coincidence neutron detection systems, health physics instrumentation, portable X ray imagers and air samplers.

I think we know these other instruments as (high end) hand held geiger counters/spectrometers etc. Page 22 (5.3 Identification) shows a flow chart detailing a generic response scheme if the alarms are triggered, and on page 35 there is a flowchart detailing the detection process. In a nutshell it seems if the alarms don't trigger, the package moves on through. It's well worth a read.

I suspect the stickers and other radioactive trinkets from China fall way below the threshold for triggering the alarms and therefore the packages are simply shipped. There should be little human contact with the packages during transit, so the dose will be very low to none for the workers. It may be that the last person delivering the package spends the most time with the package, which wouldn't be a lot, if any at all, for these particular items. I have had many just out and about on a desk and they don't even raise background on a counter 50cm away. Being inside a plastic bag or two and then the package itself will reduce the radiation a little. That's something I should test at some point. See how much the packaging shields the radiation. Not much, but some, I suspect.

The thing that really bothers me about these Ju-Ju stickers and trinkets are the people that receive them not knowing about their radioactive or toxic properties. In the hands of someone that knows, and someone with a little knowledge about radiation, they are fairly harmless. However, in the hands of someone that doesn't know, and has little knowledge of radiation, they can be potentially very dangerous. Do I want them banned, or banned for entry into a country? I would prefer for people to be educated to these rather than a blanket ban on them. Simply put, if they were sold and labelled as radioactive, that should suffice. Nearly every person I have ever met with little to no knowledge about radiation has been either wary or scared of some of my sources. To me, handled properly, they are harmless, but tell someone with little knowledge, 'this is radioactive', and people will back away. So simply labelling them properly should sort out this whole debacle. All that said, I don't think they ever would without governmental intervention, as in doing so would reduce their customer base to a mere fraction of what it was.

ETA: I think I have my Radiacode calibrated nicely now, so I have the Thorium powder back on test. The spectrum so far looks much better and the peaks are lining up will with their relevant keV's. I'll post an updated spectrum after a few hours of sampling. I've also learned a little more about the Radiacode of late (they keep updating the firmware/software all the time and adding features - I'm not complaining, it just seems a leaning curve every time I update!) and I am thinking of building a chamber for testing. I have an enclosure that may be suitable and a load of old lead sheet. I wonder if I were to construct this, take a background measurement over several days, then use the Radiacode software to remove the background from a source sample spectrum, I should have the actual spectrum for the source, less the background. Its an interesting idea to me.