Iodine tablets
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rainingcatzanddogs
A True Doomsday Prepper
Potassium Iodide only works to negate one effect from a specific type of radiation.
We actually have a thread here where we were discussing farming after a nuke attack. There may be some useful information there for you to peruse.
There are several different isotopes that will be present in nuclear fallout, depending upon the type of weapon used and your distance from it.
The heavier radioactive particles will fall closest to the origin of the explosion. The farther away you are from the point of explosion, the less airborne radioactive material will reach your area.
There are two kinds of contamination, external from contact with the dust and internal from eating something contaminated with the fallout.
Strontium 90 is very long-lived with a half-life of 28 years. It is chemically similar to calcium, causing it to accumulate in growing bones. This radiation can cause tumors, leukemia, and other blood abnormalities.
Because children are growing and their bones are rapidly absorbing calcium, Strontium will have a worse effect on them.
Relevance for Agriculture: Because it is similar to calcium, it can readily bind to it in soils with high calcium content. Therefore, produce grown in soils low in calcium (sandy soils and red dirt clay) will be less dangerous to consume because they will absorb less Strontium.
Plants or crops growing in or near contaminated soil may take up small amounts of Sr-90 from the soil. Animals may ingest Sr-90 when eating plants.
Strontium-90 can be inhaled, but ingestion in food and water is the greatest health concern. Once in the body, Sr-90 acts like calcium and is readily incorporated into bones and teeth, where it can cause cancers of the bone, bone marrow, and soft tissues around the bone. Because Sr-90 acts like calcium, milk monitoring will be important after a large release.
Iodine 131 has a half-life of 8.1 days. Ingestion of it concentrates in the thyroid gland. The radiation can destroy all or part of the thyroid. Taking potassium iodide can reduce the effects.
Tritium: The amount of tritium released varies by bomb design. It has a half-life of 12.3 years and can be easily ingested, since it can replace a hydrogen in water. The beta radiation can cause lung cancer.
Tritium behaves like other forms of hydrogen in the environment. Just as non-radioactive hydrogen reacts with oxygen to create water (H2O), tritium also reacts with oxygen to form “tritiated water” (HTO). As a liquid, tritium moves easily through the environment just like water. Tritium occurs naturally in the environment in very low concentrations.
Tritium emits a very weak beta particle. People are exposed to small amounts of tritium every day, since it is widely dispersed in the environment and in the food chain. Tritium primarily enters the body when people swallow tritiated water, inhale tritium as a gas in the air, or absorb it through their skin. Once tritium enters the body, it disperses quickly and is uniformly distributed throughout the body. Since tritium is almost always found as water, it goes directly into soft tissues and organs. Tritium is excreted through the urine within a month or so after ingestion. Organically bound tritium (tritium that is incorporated in organic compounds) can remain in the body for a longer period.
Since fall out will initially be localized, then global, open water sources such as lakes, rivers and reservoirs will most likely be unsafe to drink. Beware of rain! Ground water, from deep well aquifers, will be in theory, much safer.
Cesium 137 has a half-life of 30 years. It does not present as large a biological threat as Strontium 90. It behaves similar to potassium, and will distribute fairly uniformly throughout the body. This can contribute to gonadal irradiation(sterilization) and genetic damage.
Because Cs-137 bonds with chlorides to make a crystalline powder, it reacts in the environment like table salt (sodium chloride):
Cesium moves easily through the air.
Cesium dissolves easily in water.
Cesium binds strongly to soil and concrete, but does not travel very far below the surface.
Plants and vegetation growing in or nearby contaminated soil may take up small amounts of Cs-137 from the soil.
Small quantities of Cs-137 can be found in the environment from nuclear weapons and from nuclear reactor accidents. Internal exposure to Cs-137 through ingestion or inhalation allows the radioactive material to be distributed in the soft tissues, especially muscle tissue, which increases cancer risk.
Half-life: 30.17 years
Iodine: Radioactive iodine can disperse rapidly in air and water. In soil, however, it combines easily with organic materials and moves more slowly through the environment.
If released, I-129 will remain in the environment for millions of years. Iodine-131’s short half-life of 8 days means that it will decay away completely in a matter of months.
Most I-129 in the environment came from nuclear weapons testing. Atmospheric testing in the 1950s and 60s released radioactive iodine to the atmosphere. Iodine-129 has dispersed around the world, and is now found at very low levels in the environment.
Iodine-131 in fallout from nuclear weapons or reactor accidents can occur in particle form, which can be ingested in food or water.
External exposure to large amounts of iodine can cause burns to the eyes and skin. Internal exposure can affect the thyroid gland, a small organ located in the neck near the Adam’s apple. The thyroid gland uses iodine to produce thyroid hormones and cannot distinguish between radioactive iodine and stable (nonradioactive) iodine. If iodine were released into the atmosphere, people could ingest it in food products or water, or breathe it in.
In addition, if dairy animals consume grass contaminated with iodine, the radioactive iodine will be incorporated into their milk. Consequently, people can receive internal exposure from drinking the milk or eating dairy products made from contaminated milk. Once inside the body, radioactive iodine will be absorbed by the thyroid gland, potentially increasing the risk for thyroid cancer or other thyroid problems.
A precaution against thyroid exposure in a radiation emergency is to take Potassium Iodide (KI).
Technetium-99: Organic matter in soils and sediments slow the transport of Tc-99. In the presence of oxygen, plants readily take up technetium compounds from the soils. Some plants such as brown algae in seawater are able to concentrate Tc-99. Sea animals can also concentrate Technetium-99 in their bodies.
Technetium-99 can pose a health risk when it enters the body. Once in the human body, Tc-99 concentrates in the thyroid gland and the gastrointestinal tract. However, the body constantly gets rid of Tc-99 in feces. As with any other radioactive material, there is an increased chance that cancer or other adverse health effects can result from exposure to radiation.
Half-life: Technetium-99: 210,000 years
Americium: Americium is produced when plutonium absorbs neutrons in nuclear reactors or during nuclear weapons tests.
Am-241 is primarily an alpha emitter, but also emits some gamma rays. It poses a more significant risk if ingested (swallowed) or inhaled. Once in the body, it tends to concentrate in the bone, liver, and muscle. Americium can stay in the body for decades and continue to expose the surrounding tissues to radiation, increasing the risk of developing cancer. Half-life: 432.2 years
Am-241 found in the environment is in the form of microscopic dust.
Plutonium 239: When a plutonium weapon is exploded, not all of the plutonium is fissioned. Plutonium 239 has a half-life of 24,400 years. Ingestion of as little as 1 microgram of plutonium, a barely visible speck, is a serious health hazard causing the formation of bone and lung tumors. Most forms of plutonium emit alpha particles, which are not very harmful outside the body, but can be very damaging when inhaled.
When plutonium particles are inhaled, they lodge in the lung tissue. The alpha particles can kill lung cells, which causes scarring of the lungs, leading to further lung disease and cancer.
Plutonium can enter the blood stream from the lungs and travel to the kidneys, meaning that the blood and the kidneys will be exposed to alpha particles. Once plutonium circulates through the body, it concentrates in the bones, liver, and spleen, exposing these organs to alpha particles.
Plutonium that is ingested from contaminated food or water does not pose a serious threat to humans because the stomach does not absorb plutonium easily, it passes out of the body in the feces.
The good news, at least for those who live well outside the blast effects zone, is that Plutonium is very heavy and it’s presence in fall out will be limited to areas around ground zero.
We actually have a thread here where we were discussing farming after a nuke attack. There may be some useful information there for you to peruse.
There are several different isotopes that will be present in nuclear fallout, depending upon the type of weapon used and your distance from it.
The heavier radioactive particles will fall closest to the origin of the explosion. The farther away you are from the point of explosion, the less airborne radioactive material will reach your area.
There are two kinds of contamination, external from contact with the dust and internal from eating something contaminated with the fallout.
Strontium 90 is very long-lived with a half-life of 28 years. It is chemically similar to calcium, causing it to accumulate in growing bones. This radiation can cause tumors, leukemia, and other blood abnormalities.
Because children are growing and their bones are rapidly absorbing calcium, Strontium will have a worse effect on them.
Relevance for Agriculture: Because it is similar to calcium, it can readily bind to it in soils with high calcium content. Therefore, produce grown in soils low in calcium (sandy soils and red dirt clay) will be less dangerous to consume because they will absorb less Strontium.
Plants or crops growing in or near contaminated soil may take up small amounts of Sr-90 from the soil. Animals may ingest Sr-90 when eating plants.
Strontium-90 can be inhaled, but ingestion in food and water is the greatest health concern. Once in the body, Sr-90 acts like calcium and is readily incorporated into bones and teeth, where it can cause cancers of the bone, bone marrow, and soft tissues around the bone. Because Sr-90 acts like calcium, milk monitoring will be important after a large release.
Iodine 131 has a half-life of 8.1 days. Ingestion of it concentrates in the thyroid gland. The radiation can destroy all or part of the thyroid. Taking potassium iodide can reduce the effects.
Tritium: The amount of tritium released varies by bomb design. It has a half-life of 12.3 years and can be easily ingested, since it can replace a hydrogen in water. The beta radiation can cause lung cancer.
Tritium behaves like other forms of hydrogen in the environment. Just as non-radioactive hydrogen reacts with oxygen to create water (H2O), tritium also reacts with oxygen to form “tritiated water” (HTO). As a liquid, tritium moves easily through the environment just like water. Tritium occurs naturally in the environment in very low concentrations.
Tritium emits a very weak beta particle. People are exposed to small amounts of tritium every day, since it is widely dispersed in the environment and in the food chain. Tritium primarily enters the body when people swallow tritiated water, inhale tritium as a gas in the air, or absorb it through their skin. Once tritium enters the body, it disperses quickly and is uniformly distributed throughout the body. Since tritium is almost always found as water, it goes directly into soft tissues and organs. Tritium is excreted through the urine within a month or so after ingestion. Organically bound tritium (tritium that is incorporated in organic compounds) can remain in the body for a longer period.
Since fall out will initially be localized, then global, open water sources such as lakes, rivers and reservoirs will most likely be unsafe to drink. Beware of rain! Ground water, from deep well aquifers, will be in theory, much safer.
Cesium 137 has a half-life of 30 years. It does not present as large a biological threat as Strontium 90. It behaves similar to potassium, and will distribute fairly uniformly throughout the body. This can contribute to gonadal irradiation(sterilization) and genetic damage.
Because Cs-137 bonds with chlorides to make a crystalline powder, it reacts in the environment like table salt (sodium chloride):
Cesium moves easily through the air.
Cesium dissolves easily in water.
Cesium binds strongly to soil and concrete, but does not travel very far below the surface.
Plants and vegetation growing in or nearby contaminated soil may take up small amounts of Cs-137 from the soil.
Small quantities of Cs-137 can be found in the environment from nuclear weapons and from nuclear reactor accidents. Internal exposure to Cs-137 through ingestion or inhalation allows the radioactive material to be distributed in the soft tissues, especially muscle tissue, which increases cancer risk.
Half-life: 30.17 years
Iodine: Radioactive iodine can disperse rapidly in air and water. In soil, however, it combines easily with organic materials and moves more slowly through the environment.
If released, I-129 will remain in the environment for millions of years. Iodine-131’s short half-life of 8 days means that it will decay away completely in a matter of months.
Most I-129 in the environment came from nuclear weapons testing. Atmospheric testing in the 1950s and 60s released radioactive iodine to the atmosphere. Iodine-129 has dispersed around the world, and is now found at very low levels in the environment.
Iodine-131 in fallout from nuclear weapons or reactor accidents can occur in particle form, which can be ingested in food or water.
External exposure to large amounts of iodine can cause burns to the eyes and skin. Internal exposure can affect the thyroid gland, a small organ located in the neck near the Adam’s apple. The thyroid gland uses iodine to produce thyroid hormones and cannot distinguish between radioactive iodine and stable (nonradioactive) iodine. If iodine were released into the atmosphere, people could ingest it in food products or water, or breathe it in.
In addition, if dairy animals consume grass contaminated with iodine, the radioactive iodine will be incorporated into their milk. Consequently, people can receive internal exposure from drinking the milk or eating dairy products made from contaminated milk. Once inside the body, radioactive iodine will be absorbed by the thyroid gland, potentially increasing the risk for thyroid cancer or other thyroid problems.
A precaution against thyroid exposure in a radiation emergency is to take Potassium Iodide (KI).
Technetium-99: Organic matter in soils and sediments slow the transport of Tc-99. In the presence of oxygen, plants readily take up technetium compounds from the soils. Some plants such as brown algae in seawater are able to concentrate Tc-99. Sea animals can also concentrate Technetium-99 in their bodies.
Technetium-99 can pose a health risk when it enters the body. Once in the human body, Tc-99 concentrates in the thyroid gland and the gastrointestinal tract. However, the body constantly gets rid of Tc-99 in feces. As with any other radioactive material, there is an increased chance that cancer or other adverse health effects can result from exposure to radiation.
Half-life: Technetium-99: 210,000 years
Americium: Americium is produced when plutonium absorbs neutrons in nuclear reactors or during nuclear weapons tests.
Am-241 is primarily an alpha emitter, but also emits some gamma rays. It poses a more significant risk if ingested (swallowed) or inhaled. Once in the body, it tends to concentrate in the bone, liver, and muscle. Americium can stay in the body for decades and continue to expose the surrounding tissues to radiation, increasing the risk of developing cancer. Half-life: 432.2 years
Am-241 found in the environment is in the form of microscopic dust.
- When released into air, americium deposits particles in the soil and water. Small particles in air can travel far from the release site.
- In water, americium will stick to particles in the water or to the sediment at the bottom.
- Deposited on soil, americium will stick to surface particles, but not go very deep into the ground.
- Plants and vegetation growing in or nearby contaminated soil may take up small amounts of americium from the soil.
Plutonium 239: When a plutonium weapon is exploded, not all of the plutonium is fissioned. Plutonium 239 has a half-life of 24,400 years. Ingestion of as little as 1 microgram of plutonium, a barely visible speck, is a serious health hazard causing the formation of bone and lung tumors. Most forms of plutonium emit alpha particles, which are not very harmful outside the body, but can be very damaging when inhaled.
When plutonium particles are inhaled, they lodge in the lung tissue. The alpha particles can kill lung cells, which causes scarring of the lungs, leading to further lung disease and cancer.
Plutonium can enter the blood stream from the lungs and travel to the kidneys, meaning that the blood and the kidneys will be exposed to alpha particles. Once plutonium circulates through the body, it concentrates in the bones, liver, and spleen, exposing these organs to alpha particles.
Plutonium that is ingested from contaminated food or water does not pose a serious threat to humans because the stomach does not absorb plutonium easily, it passes out of the body in the feces.
The good news, at least for those who live well outside the blast effects zone, is that Plutonium is very heavy and it’s presence in fall out will be limited to areas around ground zero.
rainingcatzanddogs
A True Doomsday Prepper
I am going to suppose then that you were born after the Cold war ended and were never subjected to bombing drills with placebo iodine pills as a child?
Sorry. As a cold war kid, I assume everyone knows about potassium Iodide and how to store it.
Sorry. As a cold war kid, I assume everyone knows about potassium Iodide and how to store it.
rainingcatzanddogs
A True Doomsday Prepper
Got it.
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