A PRIMER IN HOW TO PROTECT YOUR FAMILY FROM NUCLEAR TERRORISM

Summary: This article, while by no means the final word on the subject, provides a few basic steps you can take to help protect your family from the threat of nuclear terrorism.

DISCLAIMER: THERE IS NO HARMLESS DOSE OF RADIATION, AND NO MAGIC CURE FOR RADIATION EXPOSURE! Nothing in this article should be construed as medical advice, and especially not as advice to stay in a radiation-contaminated area. The author, though he believes the information herein, and his treatment of it, to be reasonably reliable, CAN NOT AND DOES NOT warrant the accuracy and reliability of this information, or the accuracy, reliability, or effectiveness of any devices or products referred to in this article (notably, the radiation meter and potassium iodide/ iodate). The author is not a physician, and nothing herein should be construed as medical advice. Use of this info is solely at your own responsibility and risk.

The Nature of the Threat

In the current (November 2001) environment, there are three obvious arenas of potential threat from nuclear terrorism:

1) A tactical (i.e., "suitcase") nuke in one or more major cities. It is unknown at the present time whether bin Laden/ al Qaeda may have acquired such weapons. If they have, we have no reason to believe they will hesitate to use them.

Any such weapons are likely to be relatively small (for nukes). The immediate damage from such a weapon would be of concern to people within a radius of, at most a few miles from the point of detonation. Those of us who don't live or work right in the middle of a major city would face greater danger from radioactive fallout - especially if downwind.

2) Terrorist attack on a U.S. nuclear reactor. While security around our nuclear reactors has tightened since September 11, 2001, previous government evaluations of security weaknesses at our nuclear reactors give cause for concern. So too do rumors that members of al Qaeda may have both the intent and the training to take over and melt down such a reactor.

In light of heightened security measures and awareness (as well as the likely rapid response of law enforcement and military units), such an attack would likely face some significant obstacles to success. However, since a reactor meltdown would produce massive radiation, the risk is still highly significant.

The 1986 Chernobyl nuclear reactor disaster spread radiation over an area at least half the size of the continental United States. Granted, the most serious damage took place in an area more closely approximating the size of the State of Ohio. Whichever way you look at it, a potential nuke plant disaster is well worth being prepared for.

The United States currently has over 100 operating nuclear power plants (some sources say 103, some say 104), at some 60-odd sites. If you consider "the West" to begin with the Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas, then all but 15 of our reactors are in the Eastern "half" of the country. There are none in Alaska or Hawaii.

Put another way, only 5 States in the East - Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, Delaware and Rhode Island - don't have at least one nuclear power plant. These are generally in close proximity to States which do. By comparison, only 6 States in the West - Nebraska, Kansas, Texas, Arizona, California, and Washington - have one or more nuclear power plants.

This is a much simpler idea than a traditional nuke. Take some radioactive waste, surround it with conventional explosives, and explode it in a highly populated area. The result is radioactive fallout - a little or a lot depending on how much radioactive material / explosive you have, and the configuration. Some experts consider this the most likely type of nuclear terror attack. And if a recent news report is accurate, the Israelis recently arrested an Islamic terrorist with such a bomb - so we can presume that bin Laden and associates may have this type of weapon.

"Safe" Levels of Exposure to Radiation

Radiation is measured several different ways, but perhaps the most useful measure is "Rads." We are normally exposed to about seven hundredths of a Rad per year (0.07 Rad/ year) of largely "background" radiation. A chest X-ray will give you about .02 Rad, a dental X-ray about .06 Rad. Don't even ask about "full-body diagnostic scans," which give you so much radiation they can increase your risk of cancer.

About a tenth of a Rad (normal background radiation plus perhaps an X-ray during the year) is considered an acceptable level of exposure for most of us who aren't workers in the nuclear industry.

Children are far more susceptible to problems from radiation. The younger, the more susceptible. Children exposed prenatally to diagnostic X-rays have a 50% greater chance of dying from leukemia than those who aren't. Other potential problems from radiation exposure include breast cancer, thyroid cancer, mental retardation (severe retardation was shown for Hiroshima and Nagasaki children between 8 and 15 weeks' gestation exposed prenatally to between 12 and 23 Rads), and other cancers.

All this underscores the desirability of avoiding ANY amount of radiation, if feasible. However, having said that, it appears possible (from another source) for adults to endure perhaps 6 Rads of radiation PER DAY for an extended period of time without obvious immediate effects. This is obviously an only-if-you-have-to kind of situation. More exposure over a shorter period of time will give obvious radiation sickness.

Get 30 Rads within a few days, and you're likely to feel sick (not to mention the long-term effects). 100 to 200 Rads would make you horribly ill.

If you get a whole body dose of 400 Rads or more within a few days' time, then statistically, there's a 50% chance that you'll die of radiation sickness within 3 weeks, and if you don't, you'll wish you had. And a 600-Rad dose will kill you within 2 weeks at the latest. So if, for example, you're exposed to a radiation source of 30 Rads/ hour, for 24 hours, you will definitely die.

One major danger of a nuclear event (for those not quite in the immediate area) is likely to be radioactive poisoning of the thyroid, which may well cause thyroid cancer some years down the road. Again, this is especially true for children, who have relatively larger (and growing) thyroid glands.

Strategies for dealing with a nuclear event include evacuating the area, building a good fallout shelter (which I won't get into here, but which you could always consider, especially if you live in the Eastern half of the country), and use of potassium iodide or potassium iodate to help prevent the thyroid issues. This last (which I'll explain more about below) should only be used in combination with evacuation or shelter.

In any event, having your own radiation meter could help you in your decision-making process in the event of an emergency.

You Can Inexpensively Make Your Own Radiation Meter Using Readily-Available Materials

Such a device could give you local, on-the-ground, "right-here-and-now intelligence" on whether you and your family are being exposed to radiation - and if so, exactly how much.

You and I both know that if we're relying on the government and the news media for this, it's possible that our families' safety could be seriously shortchanged. While our government is hopefully FAR more open and speedy to respond than the Soviets were (stop that snickering in the back row), for THIRTY-SIX HOURS after the Chernobyl disaster, officials made NO move to evacuate or even inform the local people who were seriously at risk and who were being damaged by the leaking radiation. Questions and accusations from Western European officials that the USSR was seriously leaking major radiation were met for six hours by Soviet officials with a combination of stony silence and outright denial. Although that's unlikely here, in my opinion it's almost equally unlikely that you would get impeccably clear, accurate information in the initial hours of shock and government/ media blather following a major radiological event.

[Note for members of freerepublic.com:] On the other hand, it's possible that a large number of "FReepers" could construct their own measurement devices, take periodic measurements, and both serve as an early detection/ warning system (which would help if for any reason news of a radioactive leak were to be delayed in its release to the public), and as a post-attack on-the-ground reporting system of what's going on.

But back to our radiation meter. This device operates on two very simple principles:

1) the presence of radiation causes decay (or "discharge," or "loss") of a static electric charge, at a predictable rate which varies according to the amount of radiation present; and:

2) it's not terribly difficult to make a homemade chamber which will hold and accurately measure an electrostatic charge - using simple, inexpensive, readily available materials.

Of course, it's not a completely trivial, "coffee-break" exercise. It does take a few hours to FULLY understand the instructions and to actually construct the device. If you have kids, though, the process carries some dual value as a scientific experiment for the kids. On the other hand, if you want to save a bit on construction time (at the expense of a little cash and a few days' time delay for shipping), you can order a kit for $25 which will streamline things a bit. This is available at: http://www.ki4u.com/kfm.htm (note: this is my major source for ALL the products mentioned in this article, but I personally have no connection with this company, and I'm sure you can find other sources on the Internet if you look for them. My article, while it mentions this company several times, is NOT intended to be an advertisement for them - they just appeared to me personally to be a good source. In addition, they provide the free, downloadable radiation meter plans used below).

Incidentally, you can also buy a radiation meter, but these are more expensive. If money's no object, look at: http://www.radmeters4u.com/ (note: this is the same company as ki4u.com mentioned above). You may also wish to consider a dosimeter, which instead of measuring the current radiation "flow," measures the TOTAL radiation you've been exposed to to date. This is a sufficiently useful device that some people, if they can only have one, would prefer to have a dosimeter over a radiation meter. Dosimeters are available from the same source given above.

If you DO get a dosimeter, make absolutely sure it's one which will work right, and that you understand why it is. A lot of them WON'T work right - instead they will give you a lower-than-reality reading, PUTTING YOUR LIFE SERIOUSLY AT RISK from too much radiation exposure in an emergency.

The homemade unit consists of a metal can with two aluminum leaves suspended close together. The aluminum leaves are held apart by an static electrical charge (just like you get when you brush your hair on a dry winter day). The further apart the leaves are, the bigger the electrostatic charge.

The lid of the can includes a (pre-printed) visual scale for you to measure how many millimeters apart the leaves are (and thus, how much charge you have). You charge up the leaves, measure their separation distance, and then set the device out to be exposed to whatever environment you want to measure for radioactivity. Radiation kills the charge at a predictable rate.

After a period of time, you take a second measurement and subtract to find how many "millimeters" of charge you've lost. Then you look up the rate of radiation exposure in a table, by how much charge you've lost and how long it took to lose it. And that's it!

The device is said to be reliable, =MORE= ACCURATE THAN MANY OF THE HIGH-PRICED DEVICES SOLD COMMERCIALLY, inexpensive, and simple to use. You do need to pay a bit of attention to such quality issues as making the suspending "strings" thin, and keeping them free from exposure to dirt or grease (so that you don't lose your electrical charge along the string and into the can), but construction is simple enough for a junior-high school student.

Moreover, testing it is easy - if you've made everything to the right dimensions, and if you can set it in a radiation-free environment for 3 hours and lose no more than a millimeter's worth of charge, then you should have, according to the laws of physics, an accurate and reliable instrument.

You can substitute some of the materials, but my personal philosophy is, if I'm going to spend the time to make it, I'd just as soon use the first choice on materials. In absence of an immediate threat, a good instrument is worth a little shopping trip to Wal-Mart. However, the instructions don't give you a concise, all-in-one-place list of the (fairly numerous) ingredients and tools needed, so I've compiled such a list below.

Tools needed:
* a ruler (if plastic, can also be used as the piece of hard plastic for charging)
* a watch with a second hand
* your kitchen oven
* a smoke detector, working or not, for demonstration of the device (optional - smoke detectors contain a small amount of radioactive material)
* a clean, sharp razor blade - IF you should use a dry-cleaning bag instead of unwaxed dental floss or very thin monofilament fishing line for your "string."
* a small nail, sharpened with a file or on concrete
* a file to sharpen it with (optional but useful)
* a stick or wooden handle (best 2 - 2-1/2 inches diameter and at least 12 inches long)
* a hammer
* pliers
* scissors
* a large sewing needle, but less than 2 1/2 inches long.
* a knife with a small blade
* a SHARP ruler
* a fine-toothed hacksaw blade (optional)
* the full ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS downloaded and printed from:
http://www.ki4u.com/free_book/s60p792.htm.
Note these instructions are part of a free, downloadable 280-page book, entitled "Nuclear War Survival Skills".
* all 4 of the associated TEMPLATES, downloaded as "tif" files and printed, from:

Actual Ingredients:
* the templates listed above
* a flashlight (or other light), for reading the meter in the dark
* pencil and paper (preferably a notebook)
* an 8-ounce metal can (size - about 2-9/16 inches in diameter, and 2-7/8 inches high. You can also cut down a soup or soft drink can if you really have to, but it appears important to have a can close to this exact size.)
* Soap to wash the can with. Dishwashing liquid is probably fine here.
* =standard= aluminum foil (preferably NOT heavy-duty, although this can be used with some adjustment). You'll need 2 square feet to make the electrostatic leaves, some more to pack spare drying agent in, and still more as a moisture-proof cover for your "dry bucket." (Heavy duty foil is just fine for these secondary uses).
* 6 inches of "doorbell'"-type or other light insulated wire, PREFERABLY a single-strand wire inside the insulation (I'm using the interior light wire acquired by cutting open the external insulation on some telephone wire).
* UNWAXED dental floss. Johnson & Johnson Extra Fine Unwaxed is ideal. OR, if you have to, you could use very thin monofilament fishing line or leader, or even (in a pinch) a clean dry-cleaning bag which you would cut into very thin strips.
* Clear plastic film - preferably 4-mil-thick vinyl used to storm-proof windows, but any reasonably strong and clear plastic (such as that used to wrap cheese, if washed with hot water and soap) will do - one piece 5 inches wider than your bucket below (16" square if top diameter of bucket is 11"), AND one piece that's 6" x 6".
* Cloth duct tape (e.g., the silver kind), about 10 feet by 1 inch, to be split into two or three pieces. OR, masking tape/ freezer tape/ Scotch transparent tape PLUS 16 ft of freezer tape one inch wide.
* Band-Aid tape, about 2 square inches. OR, masking tape/ freezer tape/ Scotch transparent tape.
* A whole roll of Scotch Magic Transparent tape (for charging use). 3/4" is best. OR, PVC insulating electrical tape. A few other common brands of Scotch-type tapes MAY also work well. This is for generating static electricity.
* About 2 square feet of wallboard (normally 1/2 inch thick). You'll harvest the gypsum from this and use it to make some drying agent, by drying the dickens out of it. Silica gel from a chemical supply company (with dark blue color indicator) is even better, but not nearly as readily available.
* White typing correction fluid - IF you're using the dark blue silica gel.
* Glue - one-hour epoxy. OR, model airplane cement. Not absolutely essential, but useful.
* Another pencil.
* A toothpick or similar small sliver of wood.
* A bunch of rubber bands, both large and strong, and a few smaller ones. OR, string.
* Several small transparent plastic bags - preferably sandwich bags. Bread bags can also be used.
* A piece of Plexiglas or other SUITABLE hard plastic, at least 6 inches long. This may be an ordinary hard plastic ruler, however, the plastic MUST be SUITABLE. By this I mean that it must produce a reasonable amount of static electricity when rubbed against dry paper. You might grab a couple different samples of hard plastic and experiment to see what works best.
* Dry, reasonably tough paper - about 15 sheets' worth. This can be a clean, strong grocery bag, or typing paper. In a pinch, you could use tissue paper or newspaper, but they're not as durable.
* A large bucket, pot or can, preferably with a top diameter of at least 11 inches.
* Two plastic bags about 14 to 16 inches in circumference (such as ordinary bread bags). The original length of these should be at least 5 inches greater than the height of your bucket.
* Two 1-quart Mason jars or other airtight containers. You'll use one of these to store extra drying agent and the other to store the charging devices.
* An airtight container such as a large peanut-butter jar, to keep the radiation meter and some drying agent in. Keeping your meter very dry means you don't have to replace the drying agent nearly as often.

Once you've assembled all these, you can start work on your radiation meter, using the instructions and templates mentioned.

The Best Plan: Safe Evacuation

In the event of a nuclear emergency which would subject you to ANY measurable amount of radiation, the best plan is to evacuate to a place of real safety if you can reasonably do so. Especially if you can do so before the radiation reaches your area and go somewhere where the fallout may not reach you (in normal circumstances, perhaps to the south and west). Draw your route on a map in advance, and keep it in your car.

It may be a good idea to have a tank kept full of gas, and a ready-to-go "three day pack" with all the supplies you would need to make it for three days. Include toiletries and games for the kids. A radiation meter and / or dosimeter, of course, can help keep you aware of what you're being exposed to along the evacuation route.

If you can't safely evacuate, you may need access to a good fallout shelter. In this case (and in general, for purposes of preparation for a BIOLOGICAL event such as smallpox or plague), it's a good idea to have stored up a month's worth of basic supplies such as foodstuffs, 15 or 20 gallons of water per person, etc.

Protection from Thyroid Cancer

One major threat from a radiation event is that of radioactive iodine which can later give you (and, even more so, your kids) thyroid cancer. Again, the best bet is to get COMPLETELY out of radiation's way immediately - but in case you can't, or can't do so completely, it's a good idea to have on hand some potassium iodide (KI) or potassium iodate (KIO3). Either of these will provide effective protection, if taken BEFORE or VERY SHORTLY AFTER exposure to radiation. An appropriate dose should also be taken

In the event of a nuclear event, there will likely be lots of radioactive iodine floating around. YOUR BODY WILL SUCK THIS RIGHT UP and you'll be stuck with it in your thyroid gland, where it can do quite sufficient damage to give you cancer later on.

HOWEVER - if you immediately take an appropriate dose of potassium iodide (or iodate), your body will suck up the HARMLESS iodine instead and will be fairly saturated. Thus, up to 90 to 99% of the harmful (radioactive) iodine absorbed by your body (through swallowing or inhaling) will pass on out of your already iodine-saturated body without "sticking."

NOTE: The usual disclaimer applies here: "You should always consult your physician before taking this or any other drug or chemical."

You can BUY potassium iodide (/ iodate) pills, with my source being, yes, the same web site -- http://www.ki4u.com. You can also potentially buy potassium iodide as a raw chemical from a chemical supply company (I'd get the POTASSIUM IODIDE =USP=, as that's the pharmaceutical, intended-for-human-consumption variety!) and mix up your own liquid mixture - see www.ki4u.com for the recipe. However, since ki4u.com is currently offering same day shipping, and I have no idea how many days or weeks an order from a chemical supply house would take to arrive, I personally chose the pills route. I picked the KIO3, simply because there's no bitter taste with that version, and I think it would be easier to get them down my kids than the equally protective but bitter KI. The KIO3 is apparently more susceptible to causing stomach upset, however. I ordered the pills last night and wrote this article today.

For MUCH more info on these compounds, including appropriate doses for adults / children / young children, and ordering sources, see http://www.ki4u.com.

A final note on the availability of the potassium/ iodine compounds: In the event of an actual nuclear emergency, I would reasonably expect ALL available supplies of potassium iodide to disappear faster than spit on a hot skittle.

There's much more to be said on the subject of nuclear preparedness; and lots of information at various sites on the Internet. Hopefully, though, this primer should serve as a basic guide to help you quickly put in motion a reasonable amount of preparedness for yourself and your family.

This article copyright (c) 2001. Permission is freely granted to redistribute this article via printed copy, web site and email, AS LONG AS: 1) you distribute the full text including this copyright notice; 2) you do not alter the text of this article; and 3) no charge is made for this information.

If photocopied and distributed in printed format, you may charge a nominal fee equal to your actual and reasonable photocopying and postage expenses required to distribute the article using volunteer labor; however no profit or labor charges may be made under the terms of this notice of permission.

When I lived in Tyler, I said I'd drive toward Dallas. Now that I'm 30 miles away from San Antonio, I probably won't have to make a choice. I know I don't want to be the last one alive, and would prefer not to die a lingering death.

I don't really see that I'm in any more danger than I was 10 or 15 years ago. There are just some things you can't control. It's better to focus on the things you can.

In other words, live right, kiss those you love each day, wear your seat belt, watch your cholesterol, and pray.

Then why are we all not dead from background radiation and even medical X-rays? Hmmm?

Because, El Gato, our bodies are capable of either (a) repairing, or (b) living for a long time with the small amounts of damage caused by those sources of radiation.

The background / medical radiation issues are specifically why I purposefully didn't write, "THERE'S NO 'SAFE' AMOUNT OF RADIATION." A thing can cause a SMALL amount of actual (but very real) damage, even on an infallible basis, yet STILL be considered reasonably "safe" by prevailing community standards.

If it's an actual nuke, there really is nothing to worry about , if you saw or heard it , you are dead .Period. If you know it happened not so far away..dead.

Point #1: An "actual nuke" is only one of the three major scenarios I've outlined above. Odds are therefore good that a nuclear terrorist attack may involve ONLY radiation, and NOT a big boom.

Point #2: Even if it is an "actual nuke," far, FAR more people will survive the initial blast, yet have to take measures to avoid the radiation, than those who would be killed initially.

Let's suppose the initial blast generally kills people within a total of four square miles (i.e, a 2-mile radius from ground zero). This seems to me a very reasonable, even too large estimate, since any "actual" terrorist nuke (if they do indeed have any, instead of just "dirty bombs") will almost certainly (20 to 1?) be a SMALL, tactical one.

People potentially affected by the fallout (which will take a while to reach the ground) will be roughly in a 10 to 20-mile radius from ground zero. A simplification, but it'll do for our purposes.

This is roughly a 100 to 400-square mile area, as compared to the 4-sq-mile "kill zone." Given a bit lower population density as you get further out from the city center, I'd guesstimate maybe 250 or 300 square miles' worth of people at the same population density as the central area.

In other words, even IF you're near an "actual nuke," I'd estimate the odds are easily greater than 50 to 1 that you'll be within an affected area - but NOT killed by the initial blast.

You can't win with nukes , you are either dead or sick , either way it gets you. It blows about in the wind for too many years to think about and it shows up in all your food.

That last sentence is true, but bear in mind that THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT DETONATED APPROXIMATELY *ONE HUNDRED* NUCLEAR BOMBS, SQUARELY IN THE AMERICAN MAINLAND, during the 1950's and 1960's. These nuclear tests were conducted out in the Nevada desert.

Do Americans suffer from health problems caused by these detonations today? They certainly do. Particularly, there are thousands of cases of thyroid cancer, some fatal, specifically caused by these nuclear tests (a whole lot fewer than the cancer cases caused by cigarettes, but that's a different story).

But how many people do you personally know who have died of thyroid cancer? Odds are, not that many. Some FReepers might of course know one or two.

If you really *want* to be "dead or sick," I guess I can't stop you. MY plan, God willing, is to come through any such tragedy alive and in at least reasonably good health.

"Then why are we all not dead from background radiation and even medical X-rays? Hmmm?"

Hello, anybody home? How old are you, you sound like my youngest kid?

Your question was answered under the " "Safe" Levels of Exposure to Radiation" section of this post.

That's okay, miss the point, have your doubts and leave the K-1 for people who are serious about their lives and the lives of their children, it's too late now for folks to have to hard sell other folks the obvious truth.

This ain't a joke.

Good Luck, you'll need it.

To all:
I received the following, thought I'd add it with my response:

Hello Butter pecan fan,
Your argument in my opinion, is very convincing.
I am concerned about the integrity fo the vendor, KI4U.
Do you have any PAST experience with them?
Did they deliver what you ordered on time?

Any suggestions on ways to confirm KI4U's legitimacy?

My response:

I discovered the ki4u.com site yesterday or the day before; and placed my first and only order late last night. I therefore CAN NOT personally vouch for them at this point.

That said, I've done a Google search on them, and can state the following:

1) They've been around at least 2 years, based on info I found from November 1999.

2) A newsgroups search turned up one message:

----------------------------------------
From: Johan (Johan@notmyrealname.net)
Subject: Re: What do you guys think of this place?
Newsgroups: misc.survivalism
View: Complete Thread (8 articles) | Original Format
Date: 2001-10-23 18:26:14 PST

twofish,
I like ki4u.com very much. From what I can tell, all the information is
accurate and thorough. He has the lowest prices I have seen on the net. In
my opinion, he is more interested in educating and helping people than
making money. I ordered KIO3 from him and received the order in a few days.
I recently emailed him with a question and he responded within an hour.
Regards,
Johan

-------------------------------

3) The newsgroup search turned up NO negative comments.

4) Recommend you have a good look at their web site and see whether, in your opinion, they have the "look and feel" of a legit company. To me they do. Things that impressed me were:

a) They give you free information and tell you how you can make your own device for free instead of buying their kit for $25;
b) When I first logged on, their order-status information was less than one day old.

5) A FReepr named Rebelbase has ordered from them in the past. You could ask him / her for input from experience.

This article is written by a paid shill for ki4u. That much is clear to me. But thats fine. Advertizing is advertizing. Scare tactirs and product education sell units. Anyways, the decision to be made is: 1) Is (KI) a legit protection? (Personally, I buy it, b/c I found articles dated beore sept 11 that indicate it is) 2) Does ki4u sell legit (KI)? (Who knows, if there's a meltdown, and they've sent me sugar pills, I aint gonna be around to ask for a refund) Note, I did order stuff from ki4u this week, and did get bottles of pills, FWIW. 3) Is thyroid the only risk? ie: Who needs a healthy thyroid if your brain has melted or something.

I got my KI in less than 2 days. I ordered it before I read your postings!

Myself, I am keeping 3 weeks worth of food and water ready to go. There are too many nuke plants in New York that are upwind of me, thankfully, my planned escape route seems to miss them.

I havent heard anyone talk about weather patterns here. Radiation fallout will follow the wind, so, if you are aware which way the wind blows, historically this time of year, and you can judge your distance fairly accurately, you should be able to either avoid the wind patterns, or drive around the downwind areas.

Also, I would not assume that 20 mile downwind area as the only dead zone. I would be more concerned with the time to put out the fire, for the chernobyl effect will continue as long as the fire burns. All downwind will accumulate radiation exposure over this time period, that is why I am planning on a several week existence away from home. Once the fire is out, the exposure levels will drop to zero from fallout, and leave only that which fell.

That leaves the radiation on the ground where downwind carried it. Thankfully, rain takes SOME of it away, but I am afraid excavation is the only answer for some tracts of land that will be contaminated.

We must also remember, tens of thousands of radiation sick Japanese lived through Hiroshima and Nagasaki and survived. We need only worry about the initial exposure time. Also, who lives in your house when you get back!

The relevance of the Chornobil accident in a discussion of LWR accident potentials is questionable at best. The RBMK system was designed and built without a containment structure. All LWRs in this and other countries have containments. These reduce the accident source term significantly. Even if you had 100% core damage (like at TMI) you are probably not going to have much release other than noble gases with only produce submersion dose, not accumulated organ dose.

There are natural mechanisms which act to reduce elemental iodine concentration. After a LOCA, the interior walls of the containment are covered with a film of water resulting from steam condensation. Absorption into this film of liquid reduces the concentration quite dramatically. A similar argument can be made for methyl iodide, but this form is less reactive and has lower solubility in water, so its rate of depletion is slower.

Depletion of radionuclide-bearing aerosols are more complex mechanisms, and have dependences on such parameters as the temperature and density gradients in the atmosphere as well as agglomerational and gravitational settling. Gravitational settling tends to dominate for these forms.

Release term limits can also be effected by engineered removal systems in the containment, again something that the RBMK design lacks. To this end, recirculating air filtration systems are a feature of the containment of many reactor designs, and in-containment spray systems are used extensively in water-cooled reactor designs.

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The Nature of the Threat

"Safe" Levels of Exposure to Radiation

You Can Inexpensively Make Your Own Radiation Meter Using Readily-Available Materials

The Best Plan: Safe Evacuation

Protection from Thyroid Cancer

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