The frightening ease with which ingredients for a dirty bomb can be assembled has been dramatically illustrated in New Delhi, where cobalt-60 turned up in a scrap metal market, injuring five people, one seriously. According to DNA India:"The experts have identified the material as Cobalt-60. They have identified six sources of Cobalt-60 from the scrap shop," BB Bhattacharya, member of National Disaster Management Authority and former director of BARC, told PTI. [Press Trust of India]Cobalt-60 is a radioactive isotope of cobalt, which is a hard, lustrous, grey metal. Cobalt-based colours and pigments have been used since ancient times for jewellery and paints, and miners have long used the name kobold ore for some minerals.Bhattacharjee said Cobalt-60 is used in fabrication work, specially for welding steel. It is also used in radiotherapy for treating cancer.Scrap metal dealers are highly secretive, and when an expensive piece of machinery is scrapped it may contain multiple...(Read Full Post)