Can auto parts become radioactive?

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My mother is considering buying a Honda Civic. I would also drive the car. Some of the parts come from the Japan region where there was radiation exposure from the nuclear plant meltdowns.

There has been a delay in the production of this vehicle because of the tsunami and nuclear plant meltdown. Is it possible for auto parts can become radioactive?

My OCD brain is concerned about buying a radioactive car.

Assume we can not trust these part manufacturers to discard parts that might be radioactive.

Trace amounts could possibly exist but I would say that it is not a large risk. Just give the interior a good wipe just to be sure if you wish. The biggest risks would be from consumables or something you handle very regularly.

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I am pretty sure Honda has a plant in America, so you wouldn't likely even receive a car from Japan. Things get contaminated with already radioactive materials; they don't become radioactive. I would think any radioactive material on something "hard" like a car would either be washed away or wouldn't make it pass customs. On the other hand, plants and animals can ingest radioactive material and pass it down the food chain. I would be reluctant to eat any seafood or food products from that area, just to be sure.

No worries, Kevin. For starters, the Honda plant is nowhere near the Fukushima Daiichi power station (in fact, your Civic will probably be built in Ohio). For another, even if the plant were in the same prefecture, in order to pick up any radioactivity, the plant would have to actually be located within the confines of the power station. The delays in Japan were due to power-supply issues and the general devastation resulting from the earthquake and tsunami, not anything to do with radiation release.

In short, feel free to purchase Hondas, or virtually any other make of car, to your heart's content; there will be no significant levels of radiation involved.

They can, because my dad had a radioactive motor one time, many years ago and he had to replace it.

I believe it is possible for auto parts can become radioactive

There is a phenomenon called "neutron-induced radioactivity," where neutron radiation can cause non-radioactive substances to become radioactive. But, it requires a huge amount of neutron radiation (like inside a nuclear reactor (inside the containment vessel), or near a nuclear detonation), to be a real concern. So, as long as the car isn't made of pieces of reactor-containment-vessel and WW III hasn't happened recently, then it should be ok.