PROLOG: A good Boy Scout is always prepared. The purpose for this web page is to suggest that for little money or time invested, you could possibly avoid a family tragedy in the event of a radiological incident. Read about the possibilities first.

Lastly, it is the authors intention to be as scientifically accurate here as possible. In that vein, if you discover any glaring technical errors, please contact the author with your findings.

Common Conversions

1 Gy = 100 rad
1 mGy = 100 mrad
1 Sv = 100 rem
1 mSv = 100 mrem
1 mR = 10.0 µSv
The gray (Gy) is an Sv unit and is equal to 100 rad.
1 Rad = 0.01 Gy
1 Gy = 1 joule / 1 kilogram of tissue
1 Sievert (Sv) = 1 Gy of X-ray radiation, 1 Rem = 0.01 Sievert
Becquerel (Bq) = 1 disintegration/sec
The rad is defined as an absorbed dose of 0.01 joules of energy per kilogram of tissue
1 Curie (Ci) = 3.7 x 1010 disintegrations per second.



Definitions

A curie is a measure of the activity of radiation. It is equal to 37 billion decays per second (unstable atoms coming apart - splitting, releasing sub atomic particles - radiation). The metric equivalent to the curie is the becquerel, which is one decay per second. So a picocurie is 37 decays per second.


Safe Exposure Rates

The NRC states that members of the public should not receive greater then 100 millirem (mR) of radiation exposure in one year from all sources of man-made radiation. A typical medical X-ray exposes a patient to about 40 millirems. Astronaut exposure on the Shuttle is 5 mR/h. The typical Airline flight exposes you to 3 mR/h. Living close to a Nuclear power plant: 5mR/year Hospital Radiaologist: 500 mR/year. Average radon decay exposures at home: 1pC/liter of air.

With the objective to set a safe perimeter until assistance arrives, local emergency responders to a radiological incident should limit their exposure (and the public's) to less than a 0.02 mSv/hr (2 mR/hr) gamma field with no contamination present if medical intervention is not needed.


Deadly Exposures

100 rad (roentgens) will deliver a dose of slightly less than 1 Gy to soft tissues. After exposure to about 100 rad (1 Gy = 1000 mGy), some exposed people will begin to feel the effects of radiation sickness. These effects can include nausea, vomiting, and feelings of fatigue. This may not occur for several days or even a few weeks after exposure. Higher radiation doses will produce more severe radiation sickness and the symptoms appear more rapidly after the exposure.

Approximately 5,000 to 6,000 mGy (5 to 6 Gy - 500 to 600 rad)is the approximate dose that will lead to a 50/50 chance of death in 60 days

There is no unique number for an instantly lethal radiation dose; the best guess is 2,000-5,000 rad (20- 50 Gy) and even then the death will not be instant as in breathing cyanide or CO.

A radiation level of 10 Gy (1000 rad) delivered in a few minutes (acute exposure) would result in death in a very high percentage of cases (probably 90% or more) within 60 days of exposure (assuming no medical treatment). The underlying causes of death would be gastrointestinal injury coupled with bone marrow failure. If the dose exceeded 30 Gy (3000 rad) death might occur within a few days due primarily to central nervous system injury and cardiovascular collapse.


Survival Information

Nuclear Fallout, emitting gamma ray radiation, at a rate of 500 R/hr is fatal with one hour of exposure. However shortly after an explosion, this radiation weakens to only 1/10th as strong just 7 hours later. Two days later, it's only 1/100th as strong.

Japanese atomic bomb survivors had excess cancer risks after exposures of 50 to 150 millisieverts, (or aproximately 5000 to 15000 mrem); A CT scan of the chest involves 10 to 15 millisieverts versus 0.01 to 0.15 for a regular chest X-ray, 3 for a mammogram and a mere 0.005 for a dental X-ray.


The RADON GAS Issue

Currently the EPA considers 4 picocuries to be the safe limit. This limit would result in an exposure of from 4 to 10+ rems per year. This would be 148 radon decays per second. Radon has a half life of about 3.83 days, this equates to around 100 million radon atoms per liter of air. Again, radon gas itself is not dangerous, the risk comes from the radioactive daughter atoms that attach to dust that can get inside your body. It has been calculated that a years exposure to ipC/L reduces your life expectancy by 20 hours, not exceptionally significant for AVERAGE levels. On average about six atoms of radon emerge form every square inch of soil every second. Radon in outside air is diluted rapidly, but if it enters through a basement floor and is trapped in a tight house, it can reach high concentrations.


NOT IF BUT WHEN

Many current and former world leaders, like Senator Sam Nunn, a highly respected advocate for global elimination of weapons of mass destruction, believe action is the only alternative to acquiescence.

I personally believe the more likely incidents today are the radiation dangers that are ever present possibilities from horrific industrial or transportation accidents. This might be another Three Mile Island type leak, and or lost or exposed medical radiological materials. Then there is the Radon gas under your house that can cause lung cancer over time. Finally there is the unthinkable, a terrorist dirty bomb attack although I personally rate this the least likely.

The best action you can take as a private citizen is to learn about radiation and its effects, then obtain and have ready inexpensive monitoring equipment that can help determine the radiation threat level to you and your family. I recommend having dosimeters and a true Geiger counters (those using Geiger Muller detectors). You can use Google on the Internet to search for companies selling both new and recondition equipment. When the cold war ended, tens of thousands of Civil Defense radiation monotors were sold, auctioned and given away by FEMA. You can buy the FEMA CDV-700 reconditioned today for about $100. It is sensitive enough to measure normal background radiation including the daughter particles of Radon gas. I would also suggest purchasing several CDV-742 Dosimeters. These shirt pocket, pencil style units typically sell for $10. And, if you buy the Dosimeters, you might want a Dosimeter Reset chargers, about $15. All the above operate on standard D cell 1.5 volt flash light batteries.

Aside from shopping on E-Bay for radiation monitoring equipment, try this organization, Surplus Stuff. They sell rebuilt FEMA surplus CD Geiger Counters and related equipment for reasonable prices. I have personally does business with Lee (K3ECD), the owner, and I can attest to his skill and integrity.

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DEALING WITH NON POTABLE DRINKING WATER

In an extreme emergency/survival situation, if you don't have the fuel to boil contaminated water, you can kill most harmful bacteria by mixing in a good quality household bleach at the rate of 10 drops per gallon, and letting it sit for at least 1/2 an hour. The bleach should be at least 5.25% pure, like Clorox, but be sure it has no additives such as soap or fragrance. Prepare to have available a "minimum" of one gallon of water per day per person. In the event you have very little time to act, fill anything that will hold water, anything. This might be washing machines, toilet tanks, bath tubs, kids wading pools, water beds. Many of these items may already be a ready source of water.

In a major war, involving Thermo Nuclear exchanges (non fissile bombs) its unlikely you will survive, and if you survive the initial blast, over pressure, heat, etc, you will likely wish you didn't as days pass and radiation sickness sets in. Therefore I only suggest you consider a low exposure bunker (formerly knows as a fall out shelter) for the possibility of lesser incidents that could affect you locally. There are many sites on the Web that can instruct you on the radiation blocking effects of various construction materials. Here is a quick example. If you have a sunken basement surrounded by earth, consider a sub roof in that basement over an 8x8 foot area consisting of cinder blocks laying over 2 pieces of 1x4x8 plywood supported by anything available. Fill the cinder block holes with sand or clay. Stay Safe!

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