The N-Files - Illicit Trafficking And Red Mercury
With the recent advertisements for the X-Files movie, I was reminded of the nuclear establishment's own conspiracy theory connected with the mysterious substance "Red Mercury."
A disclaimer:
- Although I was formerly employed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and I have more recently consulted for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), I have not been associated with the safeguards activities of either agency. I was not, and am not, privy to any classified information on these topics. I am writing using information from public sources.
Based on my readings and observations, I noticed that neither the very real problem of illicit trafficking of nuclear materials nor the alleged trafficking of Red Mercury have received much attention in the mainstream media. After searching the Internet, I received many more "hits" on "Red Mercury" than on illicit trafficking. The illicit trafficking "hits" (excluding drug-related articles) were mainly IAEA press releases or posted summaries of conferences.
Illicit Trafficking Of Nuclear Materials And Radioactive Sources
The IAEA established and maintains an Illicit Trafficking Database containing confirmed reports of incidents received from participating countries. Fifty-four countries have agreed to report incidents of illicit trafficking in nuclear materials and radioactive sources. The database is necessarily limited to known, reported incidents and is only one indicator of the extent of the illicit trafficking problem. A majority of the reported incidents have involved radioactive sources and natural and low-enriched uranium. Only a few cases have involved high-enriched uranium or plutonium. This database is available to member countries and not directly accessible by the public.
Richard A. Falkenrath, executive director of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA, in an article for Encarta® Encyclopedia described seven known cases of fissile material theft in the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) from 1992 to 1994. These thefts and attempts to sell materials included nearly half a kilogram of plutonium, 1.6 kg of High Enriched Uranium (HEU) (90% enriched); 1.8 kg of HEU (30 percent enriched); about 4.5 kg of HEU (approximately 20 percent enriched); 5.6 grams of super-grade plutonium (99.78% Pu-239); about 0.8 grams of HEU (87.5% enriched); and approximately 2.7 kg of HEU (87.5% enriched). These thefts were mostly discovered in Russia and Germany but one operation took place in the Czech Republic.
To date the known material has been in small quantities not sufficient enough to produce nuclear weapons. The sources of fissile materials appear to have been research facilities rather than major production facilities with nuclear bomb quantities and grades of fissile material. The potential for smuggling large quantities of weapons-grade material appears to be low. However, trafficking of small quantities of such material could help accumulate larger quantities of nuclear material of strategic value in the context of non-proliferation. Although not of concern for non-proliferation, illegal movements of other radioactive materials can, and have, resulted in fatal ionizing radiation exposure to individuals, and are a serious issue of public health. To improve security of materials, the IAEA has established an expert service for physical protection. Through the "International Physical Protection Advisory Service" peer reviews of member countries' physical protection systems are arranged on request.
A few months ago, there was opposition by groups in the United Kingdom to receipt and safeguarding of a small quantity of fissile material from a republic of the former USSR because of its hazardous properties. There has been similar opposition in this country to larger shipments of strategic quantities of fissile material from the states of the former USSR. In my opinion, the benefits of better safeguarding of these materials in the US or UK are immensely greater than hazard from the material based on radiological properties.
Red Mercury
Illegal transfers of fissile and radioactive materials are a deadly serious business. In a lighter vein, I would like to briefly outline the alleged circumstances of Red Mercury.
Based on the Internet articles I read:
1. There appear to be two alleged sources of the material - Russia and South Africa
There have been several scams where large quantities of money have been requested for Russian supplies of Red Mercury. There appears to be speculation that the "red" in Red Mercury originally referred to its communist origin. However, most references now appear to be about its physical color. Since some compounds of mercury are red, this could encourage belief in the material. There is said to be an extensive smuggling network that stretches from the Urals through Romania and Bulgaria to Austria, Germany and Italy. Reported smuggling activities rival those of plutonium and HEU.
The South African stories seem to center around Thor Chemicals, which imports mercury waste into South Africa for recycling. A director of the British-owned company hung up the phone in early November 1991. He told his wife he would be back shortly, and slipped out of his Johannesburg home. Several days later, two car thieves covered in a black mercury compound discovered him in his BMW. As Thor Chemicals had long been accused of polluting the soil and ground water, his killing was initially blamed on eco-terrorists. "Red Mercury" was mentioned and soon there was this version.
2. The material apparently has an uncertain composition
- A special chemical form of mercury,
- Mercury and plutonium in a special matrix,
- A combination of pure mercury and mercury antimony, or
- A polymer with a gel-like consistency in which mercury and antimony have been bound together after irradiation in a nuclear reactor 3. The mysterious properties of Red Mercury vary among the information sources.
In its simplest version, Red Mercury is an extremely effective high explosive. This would still make it valuable for nuclear weapons since the triggers for the nuclear devices require strong and carefully timed chemical explosions
Other versions mention a possible pure fusion device using a concentric implosion. The core of the device contains a Deuterium/Tritium mix (heavy isotopes of hydrogen that in a fusion reaction can be converted to helium) that is surrounded by a shell of Red Mercury which is in turn surrounded by a conventional explosive material.
Other reports describe a wonder substance that can do just about anything: make stealth aircraft stealthier, infrared sensors more sensitive, or counterfeits harder to detect. Sometimes Red Mercury is said to be radioactive, sometimes not.
Conclusion
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has issued reports that Red Mercury does not exist and that anyone approached to be a buyer should be wary of claims made. Samples from deals have been recovered and tested. The analyses have shown ordinary mercury compounds or other red substances such as brick dust. I recall getting a least one inquiry about Red Mercury several years ago. I referred the caller to the NRC's Division of Safeguards since persons offering Red Mercury as a scam could also have connections with illegal operations smuggling and attempting to sell either real or bogus fissile and radioactive materials.
Claims for Red Mercury will continue to be made and no denials by any or all governments will suffice to convince "true believers" otherwise. However, the real threats of illicit trafficking of radioactive and fissile material are the appropriate subjects for programs and actions by national and international safeguards organizations.