Plutonium mining
Plutonium was discovered in the US in 1941 when scientists exposed uranium to neutron radiation in the laboratory. Since they had given the name neptunium to the first element, which they had found that way, the new substance, was named plutonium after Pluto, the planet that follows Neptune in our planetary system.
It turned out that this name was very appropriate: In Greek and Roman mythology, Pluto is the god of wealth and power but also the god of hell and death, and plutonium is one of the deadliest substances mankind has ever created.
Inhalation of a single microgram of plutonium, smaller than a speck of dust, can cause fatal lung cancer. There is no safe dose of exposure for humans, and once it is inside the body, it can remain there for a very long time - longer than the average human life span.
The bomb that destroyed the Japanese city of Nagasaki and killed 50,000 people in August 1945 contained only 6.1 kilograms of plutonium. Due to this enormous explosive force, it is sought after by "rogue" states as well as terrorist groups.
Regardless of all the hazards associated with the handling of plutonium, the nuclear industry promoted its use as fuel in so-called fast breeder reactors. Most of these programs have been cancelled because of technical, economical and political problems, but a number of countries have started to use "mixed oxide" (MOX) plutonium fuel in ordinary nuclear reactors, or plan to do so in the future.
