Nuclear fallout safety: What to do
Just a few years ago, almost 10 miles of streets in Denver had to be ripped out, removed and replaced. In the early 20th century, ignorant city planners had used uranium mine tailings as road base. Do you know what you’re sitting on right now?
Nuclear radiation is everywhere. Various levels of radiation can be found on airplanes, in naturally occurring earth minerals, and from cosmic solar rays. Throw in the radiation that you can receive from mine waste, nuclear reactors, and medical waste, and you could be receiving dangerous levels of nuclear radiation.
There are 61 commercially operating nuclear power plants with 99 nuclear reactors in 30 U.S. states. Depending on where you live, the possibility of malfunction or a natural disaster that could damage these plants is something to consider.
Now, I don’t mean to fear-monger you into throwing out your microwave or push you to purchase your own personal geiger counter. But there should be some awareness on what to do in case there is a radioactive emergency. In a worse-case scenario, what do you do?
Here is what the Center for Disease Control recommends in the event of a nuclear emergency:
- Take shelter as soon as possible. Remove clothing to keep radioactive material from spreading. This step alone can remove up to 90 percent of the contamination.
- Get inside or underground as soon as possible. A basement offers more protection from nuclear fallout particles than a building’s first floor. Close windows and fireplace dampers. Turn off heating and cooling units. (This helps explain why some people in Hawaii apparently decided to lift manhole covers and climb into the sewers in anticipation of a missile attack.)
- If you are outside when the blast strikes, do not look at the fireball. It can blind you. Lie flat on the ground and cover your head. If the explosion is far away, it could take 30 seconds or more for the blast wave to reach you.
- Before a nuclear blast, build an emergency supply kit. Most of the items are obvious — first aid supplies, radio, flashlight, potable water and food. Other items include a manual can opener, baby wipes and a whistle for calling for help.
- Expect to stay inside for 24 hours after a nuclear blast. In areas with the heaviest fallout, it might be necessary to shelter in place for up to a month.
- Make a plan for contacting family and friends in an emergency and for meeting up after a disaster.
- Stock up on Potassium Iodide caplets, which acts as a blocking agent. KI caplets (potassium iodide) is a salt of stable (not radioactive) iodine that can help block radioactive iodine from being absorbed by the thyroid gland, protecting this gland from radiation injury.
Want more detailed lists or information on what to do? Here is the link to the CDC website.
Am not done reading all the comments but just wondering where can we buy the Potassium Iodide tablets?
Like many many times before, the best part of the article is the comments section. But Frank gets the click bait revenue and ad revenue.
I do have a request. There are several links to radiation detectors. I followed the links. They range widely in price. One commenter pointed out that different devices are for different purposes. That makes sense. No one tool does it all. Another said they need calibration. hmm so cold war surplus may be useless.
We need at least two kinds from what I read. One that can measure small amounts to make sure the food and water we consume are safe and clothing is safe after washing. A second to determine when it is safe to venture back outside. Perhaps more, but that is what I got.
We need a full length article with side-by-side comparisons of devices and what they can and cannot do. I am going to save these comments, because the are a good start. But I now have more questions than before.
Thanks for all of you with experience in sharing.
Go Here:
http://nuclearwarsurvivalskills.com/
for a free pdf download or a purchased hardcopy of the well-researched book “Nuclear War Survival Skills” by Cresson Kearny.
One of the most hopeful and informative books on this subject I jave ever read.
Detection/Shelter/Remediation, great information.
Stay safe :-)
Get a copy of Nuclear War Survival Skills by Cresson Kearny, free at oism.org/nwss. Read it, at least the first chapter. You can build your own Kearny Fallout Meter–or get one (or a Geiger counter) at ki4u.com
I’m not certain, but I believe that there are still surplus government GM counters and either film badge holders or TLDs. The GM counters are very easy to use but the badges or TLDs are not. A personal monitor that is both effective and accurate is a bit more difficult to obtain. They don’t come cheap.
Pretty informative and very educational…
I WANT SOMEONE TO ASK ALL RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT OF USA WHICH ONE OF THEM CAN CALL FOR THE USE OF A NUKE TO KILL MILLIONS OF HUMANS.WHY IS THAT QUESTION NEVER ASK TO THE CANDIDATES?
Want a cheaper alternative to the $329.00 one here, check out these:
http://www.goldmine-elec-products.com/products.asp?dept=1468
The really excellent resource about all forms of radiation and its effects on living things:
[email protected]
There are many ways we are being bombarded by radiation.
The most dangerous radiation in the home and in food stores (restaurants) emanates from the microwave ovens. The inventor of the microwave oven who worked for Raytheon said in an article in Reader’s Digest that “I would not have a microwave oven in my house!
Microwave oven does not radiate this type of radiation. The Microwave oven puts out Radio Frequency radiation.
That is correct. Microwaves do put out Radio waves. But, that does NOT make them safe. ALL radiation is one of three types. Alpha, Beta, or Gamma rays. Radioactive Materials can be: a Solid (Plutonium), Liquid Radioactive Waste water (Nuke Plant), Gas (Radon), Radio waves (Microwave), Solar Waves (Sunlight), or Electrical Waves (Ionization). Just because someone told you or you think Microwaves are harmless does NOT mean that is true. It all has to do with the amount of material and how long you are exposed. A Microwave oven may not present any problems for you. But, if you decided to climb a TV tower and were exposed to the equal power of Ten Thousand microwaves all at once. you would be at the very least STERILIZED. You would probably develop testicular cancer in a matter of years. So, again it is NOT the type of Radiation that matters, it is How Much and How Long you are exposed to it. EX: Most Doctors say you need to go outside so the sun will release Vitamin D in your skin. But daily sun bathing can cause cancer. There is a balance. If Microwaves were so harmless, then why so many Brain Tumors are being blamed on cell phone usage?
I worked for the FDA for about ten years. I worked in what was then called the Bureau of Radiological Health and one of their responsibilities was to monitor the manufacture and use of microwave ovens. This was done by inspection of manufacturers and testing of ovens being used in a public setting. In my ten years of dealing with matters relating to microwave ovens, I NEVER had to deal with an injury unless it resulted with someone deliberately tampering with the interlocks or the shielding. Using a microwave oven is as save as using a toaster oven. I don’t mean to be contrary, but your information source is incorrect. This information is available on line and can be verified. As far as the Raytheon engineer, take it with a grain of salt. True … a microwave magnetron of the type used in a microwave oven can burn you badly but you are safe at a distance of about an arm’s length. Any injuries you hear about are generally the result of product abuse and/or failure to follow labeled instructions.
I visited the Thomas Edison Museum in Florida and while there bought the book of experiments for students. In it is the plans to build a Geiger Counter. I haven’t done so yet but now I will build one.
sorry dan c. my husband got burns on his arms from leaning close to the microwave as he cooked his meals. he had to go to the doctor to get some med. silver something, to heal the burns. his arms have never been the same and feel like leather. don’t know what the long term effect will be….
I thought the comments by Hans J. Wiegert were very informational. I would like to ask him or any one else who knows, some questions. About three years ago I had a chemical analysis done by using hair samples. the analysis showed uranium running off the chart. I don’t know wat kind of uranium. My M.D. at that time, who is also a natural medicine doctor, told me to double up on taking minerals to help flush this out of my system. She also did a iodine test on me which resulted in her having me take extra iodine along wil my existing dose of thyroid medication for hypothyroidism. After a couple weeks I experienced a burning sensation in my head and since the only change in diet or meds was the extra iodine, I stopped taking that and the burning sensation subsided. I now use another doctor and when questioned him about the uranium in my system, and what the other doctor recommended, he stated that once it is in your system that it is there to stay. As a matter of information, I had a chemical analysis about eight years prior to this and the uranium was not indicated. Also, I have been diagnosed for years with an immune deficiency. This immune deiciency, CFIDS, causes me to be susceptible to many things and causes many reactions to foods, polluted air, and most pharmaceuticals. However, in the past four years I have experienced increased sensitivities to foods, thereby reducing my diet to a cooked vegetable stew daily. I can no longer eat raw foods, like salads, which I love. Also, increased sensitivities to pharmaceuticals. Three years ago I took one antihistamine tablet and ended up in the cardiac ward at the hospital. I experienced tachycardia and extreme exhaustion. Eventally, I went to the health food store and asked what to take to flush uranium out of my system and MSM was recommended. Does anyone out there have any helpful information for me? Thanks. You can contact me at [email protected].
My wife was a Reg Nurse for over 30 years until she was forced to retire due to an unexpected illness called”Sarcoidosis” . She doesn’t fit the demographics of the illness, it is usually centered on African Americans and people from Eastern Europe. My wife is a Caucasian from Kenticky. She worked in Louisville on weekends and stayed at one of the old landmark hotels downtown. We recently discovered that the hotel was infested with Black Mold during the time she stayed there. There is a study of healthcare workers that have contracted Sarcoidosis and the culprit may be fluorescent lighting. Black mold can kill you.
Hugo,
I am a Retired Green Beret and I was diagnosed with Sarcoidosis while I was still on Active Duty. I am not in the demographic except that I found European Ancestry makes you a Candidate for acquiring Sarcoid as well as being from the South, 2 Strikes against me, Speculation says we get it from weeping Evergreen Trees. Sarcoid has taken quite a toll on me, I used to know more than the Doctors treating me. I study everything before ever trying it, i.e. Pharmaceuticals, Supplements, Nutrition and more. The best defense is a Good Attitude. You must think yourself well again. I found that the best results come from good nutrition. Stay away from Processed Foods as best as you can. Do your studying especially Store Bought Vitamins, they are not regulated but there is an inspecting Organization that evaluates some Products so look for that. I get great help from Medical Qi Gong, you might look into it. I could give you a CD if you Msg me. Best to you, I hope your Wife gets better.
TELL ME SOMETHING I DON’T KNOW! WHEN YOU GET A SUN BURN, IT’S REALLY A TYPE OF RADIATION BURN. THATS WHY ALOT OF FAIR SKIN’D PEOPLE GET SKIN CANCER. THE RADIATION FROM THE SUN DIVELOPES MELANOMA. IN SAN ONOFRE, THE POWER PLANT DUMPED RADIOACTIVE WATER INTO THE OCEAN IN CA. I LIVE 10 MINUTES FROM THE BEACH AND I NEVER SWIM IN SO CALS. OCEAN. GEIGER COUNTERS ARE EXSPENSIVE.
WHERE CAN I GET THE BADGE THAT TURNS COLOR WHEN RADIATION LEVELS ARE ABOVE THE DANGER LEVEL? WHAT ABOUT RADON GAS? THATS WORSE!. DO YOU LOOK FOR THOSE LEVELS IN THE HOUSES YOUR RICH BEHIND BUYS? WASTED ARTICAL. SORRY!!
wheredo I buy a scanner and how mutch do they cost
You can get the Civil a defense monitors on ebay they are still good.
I would use the S. E. International “Monitor 4 EC” for this. Inexpensive and easy to use; no need to make things more complicated than they have to be.
http://www.geigercounters.com/Monitor4EC.htm
http://seintl.com/radiationalert/monitor_4.html
Where do you get this nonsense? The earth exist because of natural uranium and thorium (and potassium). It is not harmful to us unless someone decides to bombard it with neutrons to create fission or fusion. Someone should do more homework on the subject before spreading dis-information, especially from anti-nuke folks.
The entire electromagnetic spectrum is radiation. So is the particulate form of nuclear disintegration, fission, or fusion. The thing to remember is that with pretty much everything on the planet DOSE MAKES THE POISON. This goes for water, oxygen, and all stresses we encounter in our lives. Our bodies replace themselves regularly on a cellular basis. We have been designed to withstand most of the environmental assaults we encounter. The key is to minimize the exposure to concentrations of the dangerous physical, chemical, or biological threat. We also need to be realistic about the dangers. More than 30,000 people in the US die in car crashes each year while some 800 die worldwide in air accidents. Yet which scares us more? Air crashes! We are far more likely to be seriously injured from an improperly constructed stairway than from most of the newsworthy hazards that fill the headlines. An inexpensive Geiger counter (less than $50) is a good investment for one’s piece of mind. so is some potassium iodide, just in case. That uranium that is everywhere (particularly in granite rock) does release the radioactive gas, Radon. It can become concentrated and enter our breathing zones and the alpha particles emitted (helium nuclei) can initiate lung cancer. Again dose makes the poison. Ventilate your basement in granitic soils. Minimize your exposure to the UV radiation of the sun (but not too much because we use it to make our own Vitamin D). Don’t swim in California’s coastal waters….- It’s COLD and rain runoff can locally contaminate areas and make them unsafe. Heed the warnings.
Responses such as this one are why i always read the comment section !
Just a few things to clarify about Radiation; There are 3 types of radiation; Alpha, Beta (or electrons) and Gamma (or X-rays).
Not all monitors are suitable to detect and measure every type. Alpha is primarily an internal hazard as it cannot penetrate the dead layer of the skin. It would require an energy of over 7 MeV to penetrate the skin and there is no naturally occurring Alpha radiation with this energy level Radon and Polonium are the most commonly found Alpha emitters. The detection of low energy Alphas requires special instruments like a scintillation counter which is cost prohibitive for the general public.
Electrons or Beta particle have a limited penetration range depending on their energy; For example a 500 keV (0.5MeV) electron can only penetrate about 58 mil (58 one thousands of an inch) into a malarial of unit density ( 1g/cm^3).
X-ray or gamma radiation are a different story and are more difficult to shield against them. Also, keep in mind that electrons (or beta) will create X-ray radiation as the interact with matter. The amount of the X-rays generated is depending on the atomic number of the material the electrons (or beta particle) interact. Aluminum will produce less X-rays than lead or Tungsten.
Also, exposure to any radiation does not make a person radioactive unless an isotope is injected into the body. This is typically the case with a stress test using Thallium and/or Technetium 99m. But no matter how many X-rays you get, it will not make you radioactive!
I would strongly recommend anyone to have a Radon test for their home. In case of the “Three Mile Island” incident, employees actually triggered the radiation monitors when entering the plant because of the high Radon Levels in their homers.
In South Carolina (where I live) you can get a free Radon test kit from DHEC; I don’t know what services other states provide for this.
Also, because of the amount of uranium contained in coal, a coal fired power plant will produce more radiation than a nuclear plant!
There is so much miss-information about radiation out there that I just had to make an attempt to set the record straight. Flying in an airplane will most likely get you a higher radiation dose than anything else. Fiesta ware (the orange one) granite counter tops, Coleman gas lantern mantels will also expose you to minute amounts of radiation.
On average, a person receives a higher radiation dose from medical procedures than anything else. For example after having a stress test done my Ionization meter showed that I was emitting 18 mR/hour which is 36 times the amount of radiation we allow at the surface of our radiation units.
Even a “Dirty Bomb” scenario depends more on the “perceived” dangers and panic then the real ones. Radiation workers in the US are allowed to receive up 1.25 Rem per calendar quarter (5 Rem per year). Medical effects usually do not show up until an exposure above 100 R (acute dose) so a lot of this is overblown. Serious health effects start at about 300 R of acute (short term) exposure. The LD 50/50 dose is 500 R, which means that 50% of the people having received this level of dose will die without adequate medical attention.
Please e-mail me ([email protected]) if you have specific questions about radiation exposure.
Best Regards,
Hans J. Wiegert
Thank you very much for ur very educational comments on this somewhat misunderstood subject. Very enlightening.
Thank you for the radiation information. Are you aware of medical personnel getting cataracts at an early age? Or thyroid problems from limited amounts of exposure?
What documentation do you have for this? Scientific studies or just reporting? Medical personnel is a vague term. It would be interesting to know if they worked in a cardiac unit, oncology department, x-ray or other areas where they were exposed to radiation. Without anything to back this up, it is just another unsubstantiated statement.
OK, most of what I read is hype. Alpha particles are the heavier ones and they can be stopped with a sheet of paper or your clothing. Beta particles are a little smaller, have more energy and are usually stopped by any wood or steel structure. Gamma radiation is the highest energy and is a wave. The Navy uses poly shielding to knock down the power and a lead/steel combination to shield the people areas. Another useful shield is water for the larger particles. How do I know, I spent 21 years in the US Navy as a Nuclear Operator and I not only was an operator but as a master instructor in Nuclear Theory and Operations/Design. If you live in Denver, you are exposed to more radiation than someone in Charleston, SC due to being at 5200 feet or higher plus the natural radiation from the Rocky Mountains. If you live on the Western Slope of Colorado, you get more due the natural Uranium that occurs in that part of the world. Roadbeds contain gravel which naturally decays. Bentonite is common in the Rocky Mountain West. The natural things are all around you and where I was in Idaho, the natural background was sometimes higher than I received from working on a Nuclear Reactor.
Already have mine since I live within fifty miles of a nuclear power station.
First, if you decide to purchase a Geiger-Mueller rate meter, you will need a known source (isotope and activity) to verify calibration and determine detector efficiency.
Second item is your body contains naturally occurring radioactive isotopes. The primary isotopes are Carbon 14 and Potassium 40. In my work I use a whole body scanner, and I detect K-40 all the time.
Most of us receive in the US about 300 mrem per year from natural background radiation. People who live at higher elevations receive more dose than those living near sea level.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TOGET RID OF THE RADIATION YOU FIND?
A Super Nova eons away could rain gamma rays down upon us at anytime too. There are many more things out in space that make Earth a “bull’s eye”.
NASA has learned that layers of polyethylene sheets scatter many nuclear particles. Water also will scatter many nuclear particles also. So, it’s no surprize that when the “blow-up living quarters” they intend to place onto the surface of Mars contain bubble within bubble of polyethylene layers with water between each layer for the astronauts to take cove in during a solar storm.
Also, as we found out in the early 1960’s, 13″ of concrete will absorb most nuclear particles. But, even 13″ of concrete can’t protect you from gamma ray/particles.
’round these parts of Central Texas, I found many private wells that were radioactive with Iridium while working in the Env. Lab. It wasn’t easy to report to TCEQ for me but, those families all got some form of cancer. Some died of cancer and other’s dieds before they would’ve eventually gotten cancer. I didn’t like it when TCEQ would plug their wells. It was naturally occurring in the Pre-Cambriam granite.
Having a Geiger Counter is good to have around. A transistor radio tuned to a frequency that is mostly quiet will pick up most nuclear particles just like a Geiger Counter. A transistor radio won’t have the meter for measuring the amount but, you’ll be able to hear radiation as more static. It’ll sound just like ‘static’ which is just the spray of radiation through our atmosphere.
Where do yu get the monitors to test for radiation? Can they be bought locally.
Where can I get a free Radon test?
Once again the scare tactics with radiation. It is true that high doses are harmful to deadly, but where can you get that kind of exposure? Recent and older studies have shown that increased radiation can be beneficial to mammals and plants. The term is radiation hormesis, look it up. Unless you are in the fuel pool or reactor of a nuclear power plant radiation is just a boogie man.
Excellent point. And the term “radiation” covers a multitude of different types that have vastly differing effects & half-lives — some barely stopped by cinder block or concrete walls, and some stopped by a thin layer of almost anything.
I’d rather see a simple article for the layman, written by someone with a serious background in physics, to clear up the confusion & hysterical overreaction..
Radiation is Invisible, Silent and Deadly
Radiation passes through your body undetected but sometimes it leaves small particles of itself behind. It builds up in your tissues over time and can lead to radiation poisoning and radiation sickness. Both of these conditions can lead to early death.
Reports show that Cs-137 is now contaminating areas of Japan
Radiation leaked from the nuclear meltdown caused by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan is now contaminating many areas in Japan. If you have lived in Japan or travel there frequently, it’s possible you have ingested one of the longest-lasting and deadliest of radioactive isotopes: Cesium-137 (Cs-137).
You can help your body decrease its level of Cs-137, and possibly avoid illnesses associated with radiation contamination, with apple pectin which has been used by people living in the shadow of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear catastrophe for nearly two decades. Many studies have been published in medical journals, and books have been written about the effectiveness of apple pectin in helping the body to flush radioactive Cesium-137 from the system.
it is a concern that the ocean could be polluted from the japanese nuclear power plant disaster. is there a way to remove radiation at home when you have bought fish from pacific ocean? do not know how widespread or serious this contamination is. seems like the powers that be are real shut mouthed about it. does anyone here know how dangerous these fish are if eaten?
My Co has a product to clean us all of heavy metals and radioactive toxins it is called Body Shield read about it on my web site Sisel is a Co that produces toxic free products look it over JUDI
Will the meter measure radon also.
A little bit of information is easily confusing for any average blog-site reader. Ditto perhaps for a lot of information. “Radiation” is very complex in theory, reality, and paranoia. Readers need to explore / research and differentiate between “non-ionizing” and “ionizing” radiation. The words used in this blog of “nuclear radiation” are very sketchy. So if one buys a rad monitor – what are you actually measuring? One needs to understand the “species” of the bad stuff being measured – alpha particles, or beta particles, or gamma rays, or something else. Radiation is “life” and naturally occurring phenomena – a release of energy from elemental / atomic degradation. Sunlight is radiation, so are x-rays and radon gas. Are you enjoying the results from microwaving your burrito – it’s “radiation” or that radio music program – it’s radiation too. So again – understand your want or need if you’re going to blow your preparedness budget when buying some gadget in the form of a radiation monitor.
There is a debate going on now about allowing uranium to be mined in eastern Virginia. The proponents argue that with federal and state monitoring, there will be no danger. What is your opinion?
Charlie, if we’re not being told about the radiation from Japan how did you find out about it. I believe it was on the news every day for months. Now it’s not news any more it just is. It’s being monitored and every time a piece of Japanese junk washes up on the west coast it’s tested. If people don’t remember it’s because they have short memories.
As for buying any kind of monitor ok but I personally think it’s a waste of money. It’s just something to be left behind when I bug out. Everything I was taught in the military and growing up as a 50’s baby boomer kid was if you even think you’ve been exposed to radiation, chem, or bio is to wash, wash, then wash again. Don’t test, just get it off your body as fast as you can. Then take your iodine in what ever form you can get it even if you have to go to the barn and break chunks off the cows mineral salt block. Eat the healthiest foods you can find and exercise. This is going to be a survival situation. You can’t take everything with you if your moving. Food, clothes and shelter for your family is more important than any gadget. Let the authorities monitor. Just get out.
http://gizmodo.com/5897126/over-a-year-later-fukushimas-radiation-is-still-fatal
Hi Frank:
What none of us are being told about is the millions of gallons of radio active water, used to cool the melted down core of the Fukashima nuclear power plant in Japan. This water,runs off of the superheated core, becomes red hot with nuclear contamination, and then is being allowed to drain directly into the ocean. Millions of gallons ,every day! Oh! and that’s just Fukashima! There are THREE OTHER “damaged” reactors located in Japan which are also dumping millions of gallons each, of radio active waste water; into the ocean, every day, for years. National Geographic, along with other “environmental watchdogs” or, “lap dogs” haven’t made a peep. But one can check the government website to see the radiation levels for the Pacific Coast and find…. OH! SORRY…That site is “temporarily shut down”(temporarily for two years now). Huh! How convenient for the Japanese! I also have several relatives in healthcare, whom have heard nothing from the “Center for Disease Control” (another government lapdog operation.) But they have noticed an alarming increase in various cancers developing in their patients. Just personal observations though. Probably nothing. What could millions of gallons of nuclear waste, dumped directly into the ocean, by FOUR nuclear power plants, every day; 24/7, really do anyway; RIGHT?
Im probably just another wacko conspiracy theorist. But Google Fukashima and see for yourself. Also check out the link at the top of this text. Hmmmm? I think the Navy guy above needs to consider a little more than the “rocks and trees”. Japan is dumping a lot of nuclear wastewater, directly into the worlds food supply, and NOBODY SAYS A WORD ABOUT IT!!!!!!!!! Nobody.
What we gonna do about this one?
There are a whole lot of radiation detecting instruments out there in private hands. So far I haven’t heard of even one raised level detected on our Pacific coastline, even though debris from Japan has turned up plenty of times.
Also, no raised levels reported a lot closer to Fukashima, such as Hawaii, Australia, Alaska, etc.
I suspect that lots of other closer countries are monitoring the rad levels locally, but so far no reports at all of higher levels?
It’s good to keep an eye on things, and rad detectors are great for those that can afford them — but it’s hardly deserving of hysteria yet.
Since I used to be a CBR/NBC instructor in the Army, I know that a great deal of the panicky paranoia about nuclear radiation is simply due to complete ignorance of the science involved.
I have always loved this one: “Million and millions of gallons of radiactive water”. If you put one drop of slightly radioactive material into one gallon of water, you have one gallon of radioactive water. Put that one gallon into another millon gallons, now you have one million and one gallons of radioactive water. That sounds really horrible. What you really have is 1,000,001 gallons of pure water and one drop of radioactive material. What is really important is which isotopes and what quantity is in that one drop.
The other important thing not mentioned in this disscussion is ingestion of radioactive isotopes. Either thru inhalation or food or water. Some isotopes are weak emmitters and pass through the body quickly, not decaying until after leaving the body. Others can be absorbed permanently or for long durations, until they decay. Alpha and Beta emmitters, even though the particles are very short range, are very damgerous once inside the body. The important preventative action is to keep these out of the body.
I read a technical paper once that nuclear power actually reduced the dangers of environmental radiation over doing nothing. By carefully mining uranium ores, the uranium is removed from the environment and is not present in the erosion of those soils into the environment. The general population will then absorb less uranium into the body, where it would be deposited into the bones. After being used for energy in a nuclear reactor, and properly being disposed of deep underground, the overall radiation impact on the entire population is much reduced, even allowing for rare small leaks and those living next to the reactor.
Dear Frank,
One of the first items I got this year was a Geiger counter / monitor. I got my PRM-8000 from Mazur instruments and take random samples. Peace of mind = priceless. Thanks for the heads up and Happy New Year!
dan
The big story that is not being discussed here is what causes a very high lung cancer rate. It is called Radon, and it is found all over the US, and gets into your house. It is higher than the government tells you for your area, due to a lack of testing. You can purchase a meter for it, and if it is high in your house you can usually fix it by positive airflow towards the source. I am in California, where it should be low, and i have 6.5cl (EPA states that higher than 4.0 should be fixed) Now with more ventillation, I am down to approx 4.9, which is still high. This gas is Radon, from Uranium! More common than you think, and causes lung cancer more so than cigarettess. So, if you feel lucky, ignore it.
Utilizing a low-level radmeter is a useless exercise at best.What a person needs is a radmeter that measures high-level,or lethal,radiation.I have had my CD V-715 meter since 1968.It has been recalibrated every 5 years,and has with it 6 dosimeters with charger.These radiation meters were sold as surplus after the cold war ended.There was a hotel in my home town that had a Ground Observer Corps observation post on its roof and a Civil Defense shelter in its basement.When everything was surveyed,and the hotel was torn down,I high-tailed it with sealed 5 gallon cans of food,boxes of blankets,and 6 V-715 radmeters,36 dosimeters,6 chargers,and 12 first aid kits.All that was scheduled to go to the dump.All of my my kids have a radmeter and a set of dosimeters for their families,as do some of my friends.Most of the liberal whiners actually think that radiation leaks out of the wall outlets when electricity is provided by a nuclear power plant.Few actually know anything about nuclear power.I have worked in nuclear facilities,and my yearly full-body count was never more than that of a couple of dental X-Rays.I live to tell about it.
When traveling to Nevada when I was a youngun, we stopped along the highway to get some rest. When we woke the next morning there was a sign on the fence by us stating “Nuclear Testing Range”. Can that cause people more problems when we get older?
correct that word: should read hour vice your security watch…
Bogus hype just to sell some crap monitor that you probably have a direct profit-based interest in. Listen, you cannot block out all the natural occurring radiation you are exposed to. Your article will probably cause many uneducated readers to become hysterical or obsessed with this. I am a retired navy veteran. I spent several years on a nuclear powered submarine. I can tell you this, I received more radiation exposure from a two your security watch topside (from the sun, etc.) than I ever got from cruising around the ocean in the submarine while the reactor was operational! Everything around you emits radiation…trees, rocks, everything. You don’t need some $400 monitor to reduce your risk from unnecessary radiation…just common sense!
Sensitive GM tube based instruments are ideal for checking for low level radiation contamination in food & water and for decontamination duties, that’s exactly what they are designed and made for. However, you need to know their limitations, too. GM tube based instruments rarely read or detect anything above 100mR, they are blind to the higher and more immediately life-threatening exposure ranges. IOW’s, they will just be pegged or read erroneously above their design range and won’t be able to tell you then if you just walked into an area of 1000mR/hr (1R/hr) or 10R/hr or 100R/hr or 500R/hr or higher. One hour of exposure at 500-600R/hr would be fatal, same as 5 or 6 hours at 100R/hr or 50-60 hours at 10R/hr. You need to know if it’s safe to stay where you are or are going into or for how long you’ve got to get out and away to a safer area and then confirm that you indeed had. A GM tube based instrument pegged then can not tell you any of that. Only a high range detector will do so, like our http://www.nukalert.com or a recently certified calibrated Civil Defense survey meter, like the CD V-715 or CD V-717 available here at http://www.ki4u.com.
What you are doing is excellent, because we the people must take of our problems. So, each one of us must be a champion of a subject and be persistent to take it forward otherwise, the mission is dead.
thanks and keep it moving forward
Walter,
With respect, are you aware radiation from a phone is a different kind of radiation, it is still radiation, and as you allude to, something to be respectful about. (You need a different kind of meter).
I don’t think that it would be a bad thing , for everybody to have a Radiation monitor.
If nothing else just to check your rediation from your cel phone.