Plutonium Shipments

Much has been made about Japan’s attempts to ship plutonium home, by boat, from France (Nov. 9). This substance, a metal somewhat like lead, is always described as a hideous menace. As someone who has worked with the stuff, let me try to temper this assessment. The hazard comes from the explosive potential of pure plutonium. That hazard is real. However, dilute plutonium, such as that used in nuclear-electric power plants, is not explosive. It cannot explode like a bomb.

Plutonium is foreign and foreboding. Its perceived dangers have achieved mythical proportions. But experience has shown that it can be handled and transported safely. Experience has also shown that the truly most dangerous cargo is a highly explosive chemical: gasoline. That substance, alas, is too familiar to be feared.

JOEL I. CEHN

Oakland