Human curiosity knows no end! It is this sheer curiosity that has made human beings a superior species that can survive many natural calamities and adapt to changes in the environment.
But sometimes, the same curiosity can be a bit exceeding the limit, like the question ‘What does plutonium taste like?’. But yes, this was a real question asked by many people around the world during an Internet trend.
And surprisingly, there is someone who actually tasted this toxic radioactive substance but not intentionally, of course! You can read everything about this in this article and find out what plutonium tastes like! Yes, you don’t have to taste it for yourself!
What Is Plutonium?
Named after the dwarf planet ‘Pluto’, plutonium is a radioactive metallic element with the symbol Pu and atomic number 94. First discovered in 1941 by American chemist Glenn. T. Seaborg, Arthur Wahl, Joseph W Kennedy, and Edwin McMillan, are considered a transuranium element and are widely used in certain nuclear reactors for creating nuclear weapons. It has a silver-gray appearance that forms a thin layer of corrosion when exposed to air.
Plutonium was first used majorly during the Manhattan Project of World War 2 which saw the development of the first ever atomic bombs. Apart from making explosives, plutonium is also used in creating mixed oxide fuels and applied as a power and heat source for certain space crafts. The two main harmful effects of this element are its radioactivity and its heavy metal poison effects.
What does plutonium taste like?
‘What does plutonium taste like’ became an instant Internet sensation when someone posted a screenshot of a Google Search that involved this question on Twitter last year. People readily followed this bizarre curiosity and even memes and gifs were created as part of this seemingly odd and yet funny question.
The reason why it became a curiosity can be attributed to the fact that plutonium is a dangerous element and simply putting it into your mouth won’t help you decipher its taste, or in reality, you might not be able to share what you experienced because of course the element is lethal and causes death. But this question created a really funny trend where people claimed to have some perplexing answers to those questions.
In such a tweet shared in previous years, one of the images containing what plutonium tastes like the question has the answer ‘It has a very candy-like taste’. This is of course sarcasm but fret not, there is someone in actual reality who has tasted plutonium. Yes, that is right and you will get to know the details of this in the following sections. But breaking the suspense for you as per this person plutonium has a metallic and acidic taste.
How do we know what plutonium tastes like?
The story starts in 1943 during the Manhattan Project when a brilliant young scientist associated with the project accidentally consumed a microdose of plutonium. His name is Donald Mastick, and he was directly recruited by the project’s scientific director, J. Robert Oppenheimer.
It was during his work to develop the world’s first atomic bomb that Mastick had to experience this ‘one of the most bizarre and dangerous’ incidents. He was entrusted with the duty of purifying plutonium, an important element needed to create nuclear explosives. The incident happened on August 1st, 1944 when he and his laboratory partner Arthur Wahl were dealing a vial containing 10 milligrams of plutonium chloride mixed in an acidic solution.
Suddenly, the vial exploded resulting in some of its contents being inside the mouth of Donald Mastick. He quickly sought expert medical attention and through rigorous testing and methods, almost a lion’s share of plutonium was eliminated from his body and that is why he survived years even after the incident.
Aftermath of tasting plutonium
Soon after this incident, Mastick sought the help of Dr. Louis Hempelmann, the head of the Health Group at Los Alamos, New Mexico. His face was deeply cleansed after the incident but you should keep in mind that a mere microgram of this radioactive substance can cause dangerous effects on the human body.
The doctor provided him with a mouthwash containing a mix of trisodium nitrate and sodium bicarbonate. Even though this solution helped his body to get rid of most of the plutonium, some amount of it still sustained. It has been said that the breath of Mastick still emitted radioactive particles which could set off an ionization chamber situated at least 6 feet away. Even three decades later, his body was found to have traces of plutonium which shows the danger he had faced.
But surprisingly, Mastick had a long and productive life even after this incident and he died at the age of 80 due to some issues related to Parkinson’s disease. This means he didn’t have to suffer from any potential danger associated with plutonium but his story remains a warning note for anyone dealing with such hazardous particles.
Dangers of plutonium
As mentioned earlier, plutonium is a highly toxic radioactive element. Like lead and mercury, it can cause detrimental effects on the human body. Most danger from plutonium happens through inhaling the chemical. Not only due to its chemical properties but also its radioactive nature causes this danger.
Certain radiations such as gamma and alpha from plutonium have potentially hazardous effects. One of the most dangerous effects of plutonium is cancer. It might occur years after the exposure to the element. Some of the kinds of cancer you might develop after exposure to plutonium include bone, liver, and lung cancer.
According to ASTDR Plutonium ToxGuide, Plutonium-239, and its certain decay products are considered group 1 human carcinogens. Some of the observational effects of getting exposed to large amounts of plutonium include skin burns, hair loss, gastrointestinal distress, nausea, or even death by Acute Radiation Syndrome.
Conclusion
Plutonium is a radioactive metal that is used in making nuclear weapons. It has atomic number 94 and was first discovered in 1941 by a group of researchers. Plutonium is highly toxic and causes detrimental effects on the human body due to its chemical properties and radioactivity. What plutonium tastes like became an Internet trend when someone posted a Google Search screenshot of this question.
A scientist called Donald Mastick had consumed a microdose of plutonium during his association with the Manhattan Project. It was purely accidental and the person reported it tasted metallic and slightly acidic. Plutonium if ingested or inhaled can even cause cancer but in the case of Mastick, immediate medical care was provided so somehow he was rescued.
But even three decades later traces of plutonium were found to remain in his body which indicates the potentially hazardous nature of this element.
FAQs
Plutonium has been reported as having a metallic taste like most other metals.
No. It is not sweet and sour but metallic in taste as per reports.
Yes. In 1944, Donald.F. Mastick, an American Chemist, accidentally tasted the element during his participation in the Manhattan Project.
No. Both oral ingestion and inhalation of plutonium can be hazardous and even cause cancer and death.
Yes. It is toxic like mercury and lead and can cause dangerous effects on the human body.
