walmart "loses" 15,000 tritium exit signs

don't feel bad
i didn't know what they were until i did some research

"Tritium is a hydrogen atom with a short half-life (12.3 years) that is used in thermonuclear (fusion) weapons; large quantities are also used to maintain the United States' sizable nuclear weapon stock. It is also commonly found in self-luminescent objects like exit signs, watches, and gauges.

It emits a weak beta particle but only poses a health risk when found in large concentrations in water. (Tritium occurs naturally in the environment, in the form of tritiated water, but in extremely low concentrations.) Tritium in exit signs can be hazardous if improperly (and illegally) disposed of in municipal landfills; when it reacts with oxygen, tritium readily forms water and can seep into the ground, contaminating groundwater, or go into water ways. It can also be harmful if inhaled in its gaseous form or if absorbed through the skin."

read this startling article at treehugger HERE


thanks walmart