A few weeks ago, we brought you news of a lady whose new collection of beach pebbles exploded in her pocket, sending her to the hospital and making a hazmat site of her home. Additional testing confirms that phosphorus is to blame.
The phosphorus on the smooth, greenish-orange rocks is likely
manmade, said Kenneth Shea, an organic chemistry professor at the
University of California, Irvine.
Phosphorus is found in oxidized form in rocks, but in its pure
elemental form can burn when exposed to air. Phosphorous compounds are
used in everything from flares to munitions to fertilizer.
"You can't go digging on the beach and find it," Shea said. "It's manmade, and it's pretty common."
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