Published: April 4th, 2011 at 9:03 pm ET
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EPA’s radiation detection system not 100 percent, WTVM, March 30, 2011:
… [Brendan Gilfillan, press secretary for the EPA] re-emphasized that currently there is no domestic emergency response in effect because the U.S. is not expected to see harmful levels of radiation. Still, he said, “The federal government is monitoring the situation.”
[Daniel Hirsch, a lecturer on nuclear policy at the University of California Santa Cruz] said the “bland assertions that no harmful radiation could reach the U.S.” are “idiotic,” as no radiation is safe, according to the EPA itself. …
The report also offers insight into the EPA’s nationwide radiation monitoring program… or lack thereof.
Published: April 4th, 2011 at 9:03 pm ET
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Like The federal government is monitoring the situation in the Gulf,
It never really stopped, Satellite imagery From April Fool’s Day…
http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?subset=AERONET_WaveCIS_Site_CSI_6.2011091.aqua.1km
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Listen live:
http://www.renseradio.com/listenlive.htm
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Each time the winds circles the globe, it will pass back over Japan adding to what is already airborne and then proceed on it’s trip across the ocean and the North America’s an on, till passing over Japan again picking up more ….. Soon the Jet stream may be saturated with Isotopes and the accumulation will continue again and again… A continuous nuclear deposit in the sky’s that at this time has no end in sight !
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Great site. Thanks for the well researched information
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Funny thing is I have to go train for a radiation attack on the weekend with good ole DHS. Wonder why we went from Tornado’s to radiation. Gotta go American Idol is on
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CONTAMINATION CONTROL MEASURES
Know what the radionuclide is – Is it particulate or is it a gas? There are some radionuclides that exist as a radioactive gas that decay to a radioactive particulate. Just because a gas dissipates, it doesn’t mean you are safe if you are exposed to an area of particulate that may be stirred up and ingested.
Absent knowledge of the specific radionuclide, don’t expose yourself to it if you don’t have to. This may seem like stating the obvious, but it’s not. Exposing yourself to contamination to treat an injured person or remove an injured person is probably the right call. Exposing yourself to contamination to reach an injured pet is probably not the right call. That said, in violation of my own advice, I wouldn’t hesitate to go get my 12-year-old golden retriever.
If you do have to expose yourself to radioactive contamination, there are two things to differentiate:
General radiation level. You can minimize exposure to radiation by utilizing the following, preferably in combination:
Time: Minimize the time exposed. Do what you need to do as rapidly as it can be done safely and effectively.
Distance: Maximize the distance between the radiation source and yourself. Exposure falls off as an inverse squared function. A 10 millrem/hr source measured at 2 feet will drop to 2.5 mr/hr at 4 feet.
(http://www.wright.edu/admin/ehs/documents/EquationsforRadiationSafety.pdf)
Shielding: Utilize whatever you can to put between you and the source. Concrete, lead, steel, poly sheeting, or poly blocks are all effective to varying degrees against the different types of radiation you may encounter.
Contamination. Contamination is the “dirt;” radiation is the energy coming off the dirt.
Breathing protection: It may be suspended as particulates in the air if it is fine enough. A simple mask that provides any degree of mechanical filtration is better than nothing. Sealed forced air is best. If you can see suspended motes, really think twice about entering the area without breathing protection. You will exhale about 75-90% of inhaled particulate matter. You run into trouble when the specific radionuclide is preferentially concentrated in the body, like I-131 is.
Protection against skin contamination: Long-sleeved shirts, long pants, shoes, socks, a hood, gloves, etc. Try to cover all exposed skin to the maximum extent possible. Assume that the clothing is contaminated, and dispose of it after you have left the area that is potentially contaminated.
If you can, construct a staging area at the boundary of the contaminated area so you can strip down and step into the clean area and leave your contaminated clothing behind. Important safety tip – make sure you are wearing undergarments. (Unless you are either immodest or a show-off ).
If you do have skin contamination or suspect you have skin contamination, there are several methods of removing it safely:
You can use a tape press. Duct tape or packing tape will work. Press the sticky side on to the affected area with enough force to contact the material, but light enough to not risk grinding it into the skin. Discard the used tape, as it will be contaminated.
Wash and rinse with soap and water. Use lukewarm water. Hot water opens the pores and risk trapping the particulate inside. Cold water closes the pores and will trap the particles. A mild abrasive is okay to use if you don’t grind it into your skin. If you suspect the particulate to be trapped in an abrasion or a cut, scrub vigorously, as it is already stuck in your skin. A little bleeding from a mild abrasion (like a skinned elbow or knee) isn’t bad since the blood flow will in some cases help push the particulate away from the skin, where it can be rinsed away.
The risk is pushing it down into a large enough blood vessel or capillary that it could get picked up by your circulatory system, but the risk is low if you are careful. Collect the rinse water, since it will be contaminated, and keep it separated.
If you have an open wound with serious bleeding and you suspect there is contamination present, you must treat the wound first.
Sealing some amount of contamination in a wound to stabilize severe bleeding for further treatment is far better than bleeding to death. Collect and dispose of the medical waste assuming that it is contaminated.
Skin contamination in and of itself is not a big deal if the associated dose rate is relatively low and you remove it as quickly as possible.
[Source: http://www.chrismartenson.com/blog/quick-primer-contamination-control-measures/54830
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