David Hahn facts for kids

David Charles Hahn (born October 30, 1976 – died September 27, 2016) was an American who loved learning about nuclear radiation. He was sometimes called the "Radioactive Boy Scout" or the "Nuclear Boy Scout" because he built a homemade neutron source when he was only seventeen years old.

David was a Boy Scout and did his experiments secretly in a shed behind his mother's house in Commerce Township, Michigan. His big dream was to build a breeder reactor at home. Even though he never finished a full reactor, his activities caught the attention of local police in August 1994. They found strange materials in his car during a traffic stop. When David told them the materials were radioactive, the police called federal authorities.

Ten months later, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cleaned up his mother's property. It was declared a Superfund cleanup site, meaning it needed special handling for dangerous materials. David earned the Eagle Scout rank shortly after his lab was taken apart.

At first, not many people knew about this incident. But it became famous after a 1998 article in Harper's Magazine by journalist Ken Silverstein. David Hahn was also the main topic of Silverstein's 2004 book, The Radioactive Boy Scout. As an adult, David served in the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps.

David's Early Life and Interests

David Hahn was born in Royal Oak, Michigan. From a young age, he was very interested in chemistry. He spent many years doing amateur chemistry experiments. Sometimes these experiments caused small explosions or other accidents.

He was inspired by a book called The Golden Book of Chemistry Experiments. David tried to collect samples of every element from the periodic table. This included even the radioactive ones. Later, he earned a merit badge in Atomic Energy. This made him even more interested in the idea of building a breeder reactor at home.

Building a Homemade Neutron Source

David carefully gathered radioactive materials from everyday household products. For example, he got americium from smoke detectors. He took thorium from camping lantern mantles. He found radium from old clocks and tritium from gun sights.

His "reactor" was a block of lead that he had hollowed out. He used lithium from batteries he bought to clean the thorium ash. He did this using a Bunsen burner. David hoped to create a breeder reactor. This kind of reactor uses low-level isotopes to change thorium and uranium into other special isotopes.

David's homemade neutron source was often called a reactor, but it was not a true nuclear reactor. However, it did give off a lot of radiation. The radiation levels were likely more than 1,000 times higher than normal background radiation. David became worried and started to take his experiments apart.

But by chance, police found out about his activities. This led to a big response from federal agencies. These included the FBI and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. On June 26, 1995, the EPA stepped in. They called David's mother's property a Superfund hazardous materials cleanup site. The EPA took apart the shed and everything inside it. They buried the materials as low-level radioactive waste in Utah.

What officials didn't know was that David's mother had already collected most of the radioactive material. She was afraid she would lose her house if the full amount of radiation was known. So, she threw the materials away in the regular trash. David did not want to get medical checks for radiation exposure. EPA scientists thought his life might be shorter because of the radiation. He had spent a lot of time in the small shed with many radioactive materials. He used very few safety measures. But he refused their advice to be examined at the Enrico Fermi Nuclear Generating Station.

David's Adult Life and Military Service

After the cleanup, David felt sad. His girlfriend broke up with him, and his mother passed away in early 1996. He finished high school but wasn't sure what to do next. His father and stepmother encouraged him to go to Macomb Community College. He started a program there but often missed classes.

Then, he was encouraged to join the military. He joined the Navy and worked on the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Enterprise. He served for four years and became a petty officer, third class.

After his time in the Navy, David joined the United States Marine Corps. He was stationed in North Carolina. After a few years, he reached the rank of lance corporal. He was honorably discharged from the Marines for medical reasons and returned to Michigan.

Later Incidents

On August 1, 2007, David was charged with taking smoke detectors from the hallways of his apartment building in Clinton Township, Michigan. He wanted to get americium from them. He pleaded guilty to trying to take items from a building. He was sentenced to 90 days in jail. His sentence was delayed for six months while he received medical treatment.

Death

David Hahn passed away on September 27, 2016, in his hometown of Shelby Charter Township, Michigan. He was 39 years old.

See also

In Spanish: David Hahn para niños

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