More closer you get to the source of the radiation, the more radiation you get. In this case, graphite rock is super duper strong source of the radiation. If you just walk near it, you get super strong dose. If you pick it up and hold it in your hand, you will get super duper strong dose and the most damaged part will be, as shown in the episode, your hand.
To clarify: it isn't the graphite in and of itself that's irradiating (if it was, we wouldn't use it in our pencils), but rather that this graphite had been in the core and had been exposed to and coated with other radioactive elements before it exploded.
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u/Stayfreshx May 09 '19
More closer you get to the source of the radiation, the more radiation you get. In this case, graphite rock is super duper strong source of the radiation. If you just walk near it, you get super strong dose. If you pick it up and hold it in your hand, you will get super duper strong dose and the most damaged part will be, as shown in the episode, your hand.