Comments on: Is Your Body Lotion Explosive? (Hint: No)

By: Colin

Colin — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 06:18:05 +0000

Thanks Rob. I think your numbers aren’t far out. A scanner for nitrate levels on the skin would be a neat thing to have for airport security. I am not sure how you would do one – I suppose a variation of NMR might be conceivable.

By: Rob

Rob — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 04:42:56 +0000

I guess, like all urban myths there’s an element of truth. Certainly the x-ray machine can’t test show nitrates but the swabbing for explosive can pick it up at some level.

Now as suggested elsewhere Mg(NO3)2 is in Kathon CG (I’ve got in my head the figure of 7% but I can only find the total Mg salts at 23% so let’s use that figure as a worst case. Kathon is used at say around 0.05% in a leave on product that means there is less 10ppm Mg(NO3)2 in your moisturiser, which is the limit for Nitrates in drinking water!

So to avoid setting off the detector looks like it’s best not to shower just before you get on a plane, and certainly stay away from any cured meats.

By: Colin

Colin — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 18:47:54 +0000

Thanks Judith, I didn’t realise that.

By: Judith

Judith — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 11:57:08 +0000

In fairness, (b) does happen because some explosives require peroxide or something sold for the hair. You’re not supposed to buy all your stock from one shop, that’s what gets the criminals caught on TV.
The excellent Breaking Bad shows you what else you can do with beauty supplies.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breaking_Bad

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 09:12:15 +0000

Thanks Colin, this made me chuckle
Rebecca