Ok I'm really scared for my friend. It's his birthday and some old miner dude gave him a rock that he said was "just a tiny bit radioactive". We were talking about uranium, and he brought up his rock. I got nervous and looked it up on google images. We live in northwest NC, and there are mines with uranium in them. The rock is a yellow-green color, large, and it GLOWS. In google images, he said his rock looked just like the ones in google images. I'm using my mom's yahoo answers account because I don't have one, and I don't want to freak her out. Please answer this. What should I do?! He's real freaked out. Is it dangerous? How do you get rid of it?
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Yes, that does sound like one of the MANY types of Uranium Ore. However, large uranium deposits are RARE in the eastern United States. ALL active uranium mines in the United states are found WEST of the Mississippi.
[Uranium is one of the most common elements found on earth! It is EVERYWHERE, but in such small concentrations as to be harmless. Uranium in the ground is the source of RADON GAS, which also causes cancer. Uranium is NOT made naturally on earth, but is made during a SUPER NOVA of a giant star. ALL uranium we can find on earth was,. at some time in the past, part of another sun that went super nova. Uranium is literally "Star Dust"]]
Fortunately, Uranium needs to be heavily refined before it gets REALLY dangerous.
But even a week piece like your friend has CAN cause cancer if you keep it with you for a long time.
So call the Geology Department at a local college, and see if they want it. If not, ask THEM how to get rid of it SAFELY. As a last ditch effort, call the police.
[Uranium is one of the most common elements found on earth! It is EVERYWHERE, but in such small concentrations as to be harmless. Uranium in the ground is the source of RADON GAS, which also causes cancer. Uranium is NOT made naturally on earth, but is made during a SUPER NOVA of a giant star. ALL uranium we can find on earth was,. at some time in the past, part of another sun that went super nova. Uranium is literally "Star Dust"]]
Fortunately, Uranium needs to be heavily refined before it gets REALLY dangerous.
But even a week piece like your friend has CAN cause cancer if you keep it with you for a long time.
So call the Geology Department at a local college, and see if they want it. If not, ask THEM how to get rid of it SAFELY. As a last ditch effort, call the police.
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do not touch it at all, try to get in contact with the person that gave you the rock to see more about it and also you should contact the police as well, and tell them everything but contact a lawer first he will give you your legal rights in this issue, and what ever you do do not lick your hands or anything that has came into contact with the rock, put it in a safe if you have one