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EMERGENCY KIT
ITEM,
SUPPLIES, TOOLS, AND OPTIONS
Nuclear Shelter
Options
Nuclear
Blast and Fallout Shelters FAQ
=======================================================
Emergency Kit vendors have a variety of
products, which are subject to change.
Moreover, a number of them decide to merge, go into other businesses, etc.
So this page will provide references to some of these vendors and products, but
note that this is subject to change.
Therefore the majority of this web page is focused on the items that you want to
have in your kit.
Emergency Kit, Supply Vendors:
KI4U - provider of Potassium Iodide,
NukAlert, radiation survey meter, chemical detection strips
Amazon.com list of survival kit vendors and products - 139 products listed
Amazon.com list of emergency kit vendors and products - 48 products listed
QuakeKare - vendor of
survival kits for home, office, school, car, pets. Vendor of
emergency rations and supplies.
Vendor of
antiterrorism kits including Potassium Iodide, duct tape, plastic sheeting,
gas mask, protective suit, and gloves.
SurvivalKitsOnline.com - vendor of wide variety of survival kits of
different sizes/price ranges for home, office, school, commuter, children,
backpack, and "build-a-kit" individual supplies for enhancement of existing
kits.
2 person backpack kit on Amazon.
IPrepare.com - vendor
of home survival kits, office survival kits, backpack kits, honeybucket kits
Mayday Industries - vendor of
kits, emergency supplies and food,
emergency pet food,
backpack emergency kit on Amazon
Survival Equipment -
vendor of various
kits including commuter kit, supplies,
honeybucket emergency
toilet kit, and
"Ready to Roll
kit"
PrepareTV.com
- sells food reserves, 72 hour
food kits, and water purification products
4 Star Military
Surplus - sells
military water purification tablets, other military surplus
Escape Hoods and Gas Masks: vendor
Mine Safety Appliance (MSA) sells
escape hoods
and gas
masks and vendor
ApprovedGasMasks.com sells
escape hoods and
gas masks
B. EMERGENCY KIT SUPPLIES TO ORGANIZE
B-1. Standard Emergency
Kit Items
Desirable Items to have in an Emergency Kit
Lighting & Communication:
Protective Gear:
First Aid:
Utility Items:
Comfort:
Customizable Tools:
B-2. NBC Emergency Kit Items
In NBC Emergency Kits, you are also looking to obtain items in the event of Nuclear/Biological/Chemical Attack, such as:
B.2.1. NukAlert to measure radioactivity -- also valuable to have a Civil Defense Survey Meter
B.2.2.
Potassium Iodide is in event of
nuclear radiation to protect against thyroid cancer. Also available in
liquid version (scroll down the page
on link)
B.2.3. Plastic cloths are included to cover windows and vents in the event of a
bioterror attack and "seal" the safe room to prevent any cracks to allow outside
air or non safe room air to get into safe room.
B.2.4.
M9 Chemical Detection Strip (scroll
down the page on link) -- see description further down on this web page.
B.2.5. ASAP Silver Solution—with
natural antibiotic capabilities. A non-toxic supplement that may be helpful in a
biological or radiation emergency. See additional description further down on
this web page.
B.2.6. N95 Particulate
Respirator Masks—these half-face, reusable, disposable masks are recommended
to be worn during a nuclear or biological emergency to minimize ingesting
radioactive particles or airborne biological disease pathogens through the mouth
and nose.
B.2.7.
Adjustable N95 Particulate Respirators provide a folding version of this,
and are more commonly called Positive Facial Lock (PFL) masks.
Also available
in boxes of 210. See fitting instructions for PFL masks listed below.
1. Cell phone
2. Contact List: Names/Telephone Numbers
3. Maps of Area
4. Cash/Travelers Checks
5. Gallon of water per person per day.
Code Red Kit does provide Emergency Food Bars. These are survival-level food only. DHS also suggests the following be put in a kit, as appropriate to your circumstances, along with manual can opener and eating utensils (if needed)
6. Dry cereal or granola
7. Peanut butter
8. Dried fruit
9. Canned juices
10. Non-perishable pasteurized milk
11. High energy foods
12. Vitamins
13. Comfort/stress foods
15. “3 handkerchief rule”
16. Duct Tape in Car
17. BACKUP MEDICIATION
18. Extra Pair of Eyeglasses
19. Sterile dressings to stop bleeding
20. Antibiotic ointment to prevent infection (we do have antibiotic ointment packs)
21. Burn ointment to prevent infection.
22. Eye wash solution to flush the eyes or as general decontaminant.
23. Thermometer
24. Tube of petroleum jelly or other lubricant
25. Aspirin (we have Tylenol only)
26. Anti-diarrhea medication
27. Antacid (for upset stomach)
28. Syrup of Ipecac (use to induce vomiting if advised by the Poison Control Center)
29. Laxative
30. Activated charcoal (use if advised by the Poison Control Center)
OTHER ITEMS – NOT SUGGESTED BY DHS
1. Grasp nosepiece at top of mask with one hand. Slide finger of other hand behind chin piece.
7. Face fit check. To check fit, place both hands along the edges of the respirator and exhale. If air escapes around your nose, adjust the nosepiece. If air leaks at the respirator edges, unfold or untwist the chin piece, repeat Steps 5 and 6.
· Introduced at The Health Physics Society Convention 1/03
· Compact Key Chain Attachable Radiation Monitor & Alarm
· Monitoring is “ON” 24/7 with long-life ten+ year battery
· Range encompasses the higher emergency radiation levels
· 10 distinct 'chirping' alarm levels - easily understood
· Patent-Pending 'State of the Art' Detector Technology
· Verified by independent National Radiological Laboratory
· Each NukAlert™ individually radiation accuracy tested
· Instruction manual with personal nuclear survival strategies
· 1 year warranty & Made in U.S.A.
Carried everywhere your keys go, with NukAlert's 24/7 constant monitoring, you'll always be promptly alerted to the unseen, but acutely dangerous, levels of radiation if/when present.
A benefit of the NukAlert™, not to be overlooked, is that it will also confirm when and where those higher levels of radiation are not present, too.
KI4U, Inc.
212 Oil Patch Lane
Gonzales, Texas 78629
(830) 672-8734
www.NukAlert.com
SEE THE YELLOW MANUAL WITH THIS – HOWEVER – THE FOLLOWINS IS PROVIDED IN EVENT YOUR MANUAL IS LOST.
~ Operating Instructions ~
Your personal NukAlert™ Radiation Monitor & Alarm is designed to respond to gamma ray
and x-ray radiation fields and produce audible alarm chirp groups at specific time intervals.
The approximate radiation exposure is indicated by the number of chirps produced
in each group.
A benefit of the NukAlert™, not to be overlooked, is that it will also confirm when and
where dangerous levels of radiation are not present, too. With the anticipated general
public panic accompanying any future nuclear emergency it will be very reassuring to
know with confidence that, for your locale, your family is safe to continue going about
their daily routine.
The State of the Art, Patent-Pending, NukAlert™ sensor is composed of a Cadmium
Sulphide photocell exposed to light emitted by a radioluminescent rare earth phosphor
(scintillator). The sensor signal is sampled with every tick or alarm chirp group by a small
microprocessor. This rugged unit is completely sealed to prevent moisture or contaminants
from affecting the readings.
The accuracy, consistency and reliability of the NukAlert™ has been independently confirmed
by a nationally recognized radiological laboratory. Additionally, every unit is individually
tested with a NIST traceable Cesium-137 source to assure the highest quality
control before being released.
The NukAlert™ is always “ON” 24/7 continuously monitoring and sampling its immediate
environment. The long-life battery provides continuous monitoring for a minimum of ten
years with enough reserve to respond to a prolonged radiation emergency. Even at full
continuous alarming at the highest exposure range the battery will continue to provide
power and be alarming for at least a full month.
The monitor’s functioning can be confirmed by a faint ticking that can be heard each time
the microprocessor cycles through its sampling program. The rate of ticking varies with
temperature changes and radiation exposure but, by itself, changes in this ticking rate do
not necessarily indicate that any significant radiation is present. Two to five ticks per second,
with occasional skipped ticks, are typical. Double ticks repeated every eight seconds
will be observed as the unit approaches the first alarm threshold.
Exposure of the NukAlert™ to gamma or x-ray radiation of about 0.1 Roentgen per hour
(R/hr) is sufficient to trigger the initial single chirp alarm response. The unit will then
repeat this single chirp alarm about every 35 seconds. With each doubling of the radiation
exposure rate the number of chirps per alarm will increase by one. At about 0.2 R/hr
the unit will double chirp every 30 seconds. Around 0.4 R/hr it will chirp three times in a
row, repeating every 25 seconds, etc. At the highest level of 50+ R/hr the alarm will
change to an uninterrupted series of siren like sounds that become shorter and more frequent
if the exposure rate continues to increase.
Because the unit could be exposed to radiation that is
close to an adjacent threshold, but not enough to force an
increase or decrease in the number of chirps, it should be
considered accurate to within plus or minus one range. In
other words, if you were to have 4 chirps which would
indicate 0.8 R/hr, you should consider that the true radiation
exposure is accurate to between the two extremes
above and below it; 0.4 R/hr and 1.6 R/hr. It would be
prudent to always respond as if the higher exposure rate
was possible.
The higher the radiation exposure the quicker the
NukAlert™ will respond and alarm. At the lowest levels it
will alarm within 3-5 minutes, mid-range 1-2 minutes and
at the highest ranges within seconds. After removal from
the radiation field it will quickly drop down to the next
lower range alarm and then more slowly reset back down
through all the ranges till silent once again.
The NukAlert™ is designed to operate between freezing
and 120 degrees F. However, exposure to temperatures
between -40 degrees F up to 185 degrees F will not cause
damage.
The NukAlert™ can also be tested by chilling it and forcing low-level alarm chirps for 10-
15 minutes when it’s then later exposed to a warmer environment. This temperature
induced 1 to 3 chirping level is normal as it achieves temperature equilibrium and does
not occur with gradual temperature increases. You can use this test to hear what the
alarm chirp sounds like by putting the unit in the freezer for a couple minutes and then
removing it and allowing it to warm up to room temperature. It’s also possible when the
unit is on a key chain and in your car dangling in front of one of the blowing air conditioner
vents that when you then exit the car and put your keys in your warmer pocket
you could get a few minutes of low-level chirps as it warms up. It will then cease chirping
when it again is at a temperature equilibrium with its warmer environment. This 1-3
chirping level, when moved from a much colder to warmer environment, should NOT be
mistaken for radiation exposure. Also, if ever unsure if it was a cold-to-hot temperature
induced chirping or radiation exposure, remember that it will be stopping soon if it was
simply temperature induced. (The unit may also produce isolated sporadic chirps when
exposed to extreme static electric fields produced by rubbing against synthetic fabrics in
a very dry environment.) For any concern during those couple minutes, remember, too,
that true radiation exposure at this lowest initial level of 0.1 R/hr is such that one would
have to be exposed to it continuously for close to a month and a half before any ill effects
might even begin to be noticeable. Remember, if the unit is alarming, because it is simply
warming up, it’ll be silent again in a few minutes.
Note: NEVER place the NukAlert™ in a microwave oven - microwaves are not nuclear
radiation - the unit will be destroyed and the 1 year warranty voided.
What the R/hr numbers mean…
Since nuclear radiation affects people, we must be able to measure its presence. We also
need to relate the amount of radiation received by the body to its physiological effects.
Two terms used to relate the amount of radiation received by the body are exposure and
dose. When you are exposed to radiation, your body absorbs a dose of radiation.
For radiation measurements the common measurement units and terms are...
Roentgen (Pronounced “Rent-gen”), rad and rem.
Fortunately, cutting through any confusion, for purposes of practical radiation protection
in humans, most experts agree (including FEMA Emergency Management Institute) for
gamma radiation and x-rays that Roentgen, rad and rem can all be considered roughly
equivalent. The exposure rates you'll usually see will be expressed simply in terms of
roentgen (R) or milliroentgen (mR). (More details on these different terms and their relationship
to exposure and dose are available at www.NukAlert.com.)
Your NukAlert™ is calibrated in Roentgens and exposure rates are expressed in R/hr. So,
if the NukAlert™ is alarming at the 6 chirp level (3.2 R/hr) and you stay there in that
same radiation field for a total of 1 hour, you will have accumulated a dose of 3.2 R.
The key thing to remember here is that “When you are exposed to radiation, your body
absorbs a dose of radiation.” And, that the radiation dose is cumulative! So, if you are
exposed to a radiation field of 3.2 R/hr, then that is your exposure rate and if you remain
there for ten hours you've just accumulated a radiation dose of 32 R (3.2 R/hr X 10
hours). This is essential to understanding the expected and potential radiation health
effects that any radiation detecting device might make you aware of.
What are the potential radiation dose health effects?
The response to radiation varies widely amongst people and the longer the time frame
over which a specific dose is accumulated the better your body can respond to, and
recover from, the radiation damage. In other words, a normally fatal (to 50% of a group
exposed to it) cumulative dose of 400 R, if received all within a week, would create few
noticeable ill health effects at all if it was received, spread out, over a year’s time at the
rate of about 7.7 R per week.
Compare the difference in acquiring a suntan gradually over a years time at a rate of halfan-
hour per day compared to packing that years worth of sun exposure (182 hours) all
into one solid non-stop week, 24 hours a day, night and day, for 7 days. The difference
in the ability of your body to recover from those two extremes, but both the same total
dose, is obviously very dramatic.
Here below is a general overview of the expected health effects assuming the cumulative
total radiation exposure was all received within a week’s time. Remember, too, promptly
removing yourself from the radiation source would have you no longer absorbing and
adding to that cumulative dose. And, that can make all the difference between absorbing
a dangerous radiation dose or getting only a tiny fraction you might not even be able
to later notice. (Note: Adult doses below, 1/2 for children).
TOTAL DOSE ONSET & DURATION OF INITIAL SYMPTOMS & DISPOSITION
30 to 70 R From 6-12 hours: none to slight incidence of transient headache and
nausea; vomiting in up to 5 percent of personnel in upper part of dose
range. Mild lymphocyte depression within 24 hours. Full recovery
expected. (Note: fetus damage possible from 50 R and above.)
70 to 150 R From 2-20 hours: transient mild nausea and vomiting in 5 to 30 percent
of personnel. Potential for delayed traumatic and surgical wound
healing, minimal clinical effect. Moderate drop in lymphocyte, platelet,
and granulocyte counts. Increased susceptibility to opportunistic
pathogens. Full recovery expected.
150 to 300 R From 2 hours to three days: transient to moderate nausea and vomiting
in 20 to 70 percent; mild to moderate fatigability and weakness
in 25 to 60 percent of personnel. At 3 to 5 weeks: medical care
required for 10 to 50%. At high end of range, death may occur to
maximum 10%. Anticipated medical problems include infection,
bleeding, and fever. Wounding or burns will geometrically increase
morbidity and mortality.
300 to 530 R From 2 hours to three days: transient to moderate nausea and vomiting
in 50 to 90 percent; mild to moderate fatigability in 50 to 90 percent
of personnel. At 2 to 5 weeks: medical care required for 10 to
80%. At low end of range, less than 10% deaths; at high end, death
may occur for more than 50%. Anticipated medical problems include
frequent diarrheal stools, anorexia, increased fluid loss, ulceration.
Increased infection susceptibility during immunocompromised timeframe.
Moderate to severe loss of lymphocytes. Hair loss after 14
days.
530 to 830 R From 2 hours to two days: moderate to severe nausea and vomiting
in 80 to 100 percent of personnel; From 2 hours to six weeks: moderate
to severe fatigability and weakness in 90 to 100 percent of personnel.
At 10 days to 5 weeks: medical care required for 50 to 100%.
At low end of range, death may occur for more than 50% at six
weeks. At high end, death may occur for 99% of personnel.
Anticipated medical problems include developing pathogenic and
opportunistic infections, bleeding, fever, loss of appetite, GI ulcerations,
bloody diarrhea, severe fluid and electrolyte shifts, capillary
leak, hypotension. Combined with any significant physical trauma,
survival rates will approach zero.
830 R Plus From 30 minutes to 2 days: severe nausea, vomiting, fatigability,
weakness, dizziness, and disorientation; moderate to severe fluid
imbalance and headache. Bone marrow total depletion within days.
CNS symptoms are predominant at higher radiation levels. Few, if
any, survivors even with aggressive and immediate medical attention.
Reference: FM 3-7. NBC Field Handbook, 1994. FM 8-9. NATO Handbook on the Medical
Aspects of NBC Defensive Operations, 1996. FM 8-10-7. Health Services Support in a
Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Environment, 1996.
Bottom Line: While the grim reality of the above health effects created by the higher
levels of radiation are at first overwhelming to grasp, we need to remember that simply
and promptly removing oneself from the radiation field will stop further accumulation of
dangerous radiation. The NukAlert™ chart has in its third column the exposure time
required to accumulate a total dose of 100 R for each of the ten levels of radiation intensities
it will alarm you to. At the lowest initial alarming threshold of 0.1 R/hr you would
have to stay exposed in that radiation field continuously for 41.6 days before you would
have even accumulated a dose of easily survivable 100 R. Even if you failed to remove
yourself from that area during that lengthy time, few ill effects would likely ever be
noticed by a healthy individual, as your body would naturally be able to repair any radiation
damage spread out over such a long time period. On the other end of the NukAlert™
range, for instance at the 9 chirp alarming level (25.6 R/hr), you would need to get out
of that higher intensity radiation field within a couple hours to assure staying beneath a
total accumulated radiation dose of 100 R.
Obviously, the key to surviving a future nuclear emergency is in both being immediately
alerted to the presence and intensity of any radiation in your local environment and then
promptly minimizing your continued cumulative exposure to it. Be assured that nuclear
survival can be confidently secured for your family with the proper knowledge, tools and
preparation.
Note: Many today will argue that any radiation at all will cause ill effects and zero dose
accumulation is the only safe and healthy amount. Unfortunately, besides radiation
always being present and occurring naturally, for a future nuclear emergency we have to
be initially most concerned with recognizing and minimizing those temporarily excessive,
most harmful, higher levels where immediate survival is our first and primary focus.
However, after first successfully surviving that immediately life threatening radiation
emergency, late and delayed effects of radiation can occur following a wide range of
doses and dose rates. Delayed effects may appear months to years after irradiation and
include a wide variety of effects involving almost all tissues or organs. Some of the possible
delayed consequences of radiation injury are life shortening, carcinogenesis,
cataract formation, chronic radiodermatitis, decreased fertility, and genetic mutations.
Irradiation of almost any part of the body increases the probability of cancer. The type
formed depends on such factors as area irradiated, radiation dose, genetic predisposition,
and age. Irradiation may either increase the absolute incidence of cancer or accelerate
the time or onset of cancer appearance, or both. Risk analysis and comparison is very
difficult due to the high concern and controversy of radiation exposure. However, the
Committee on the Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation (BEIR V), National Research
Council, estimated that the risk of dying of cancer for low-level exposure to radiation is
about 0.08% per rem.
Here below is the spectrum of published radiation limits from different sources as compiled
in The Medical NBC Battlebook, USACHPPM Tech Guide 244 (August 2002):
Dose Function Dose Function
500 LD 50/60 with supportive care 10 Protection of valuable prop; EPA
350 LD 50/60 without supportive care 5.0 Occupational annual limit; 10 CFR
300 Early erythema 5.0 Public organ dose limit; 10 CFR
200 Threshold for cataract 0.5 Average all X-ray procedures; NCRP
150 Emergency risk; STANAG 2083 0.5 Public, annual, infrequent; NCRP
100 Urgent action, accident; ICRP 63 0.30 Naturally occurring annual dose, US; NCRP
70 Moderate risk; STANAG 2083 0.10 Public, annual, continuous exposure; NCRP
50 Negligible risk; STANAG 2083 0.10 Public; 10 CFR
50 Emergency limit; ICRP 0.015 Annual Public limit for decontamination; EPA
25 Life Saving; EPA 0.001 Insignificant dose; NCRP
LD 50/60 above refers to Lethal Dose for 50% exposed to that dose within 60 days.
STANAG 2083 is the NATO Commanders Guide on Nuclear Radiation Exposure of Groups.
ICRP is International Commission on Radiological Protection.
EPA is Environmental Protection Agency.
10 CFR is from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
NCRP is the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements.
Bottom Line: Regardless of the controversy and debate surrounding acceptable limits of
radiation exposure, the guide to action in limiting ones radiation exposure, both in a
nuclear emergency and in everyday life, is always ALARA - As Low As Reasonably
Achievable. Below follows what to do when the alarm is real to best assure your future
radiation exposure stays ALARA.
~ Nuclear Response Survival Strategies ~
First, some critical background information.
Before your NukAlert™ would even alarm you may have an indication of an initial nuclear
detonation with its characteristic blinding bright flash. The first effects you may have to
deal with before radiation, depending on your proximity to it, are blast and thermal energy.
Promptly employing the old “Duck & Cover” strategy will save many from avoidable
flying debris injuries and also minimize thermal burns. Think tornado strength wind
destruction descending upon you as you quickly dive behind any solid object or into any
available depression. A 500 KT blast, 2.2 miles away, will be arriving about 8 seconds
after the detonation flash with about a 295 mph wind blast that’ll last about three seconds.
An even larger 1 MT blast, but 5 miles away, would arrive in about 20 seconds.
(More information on both these early effects of nuclear explosions and additional options
for protective actions at www.NukAlert.com.)
Regardless of the cause or proximity of a nuclear ‘event’, if your detector produces an
alarm due to exposure to radiation, you should note and write down the time and the
chirp rate as soon as possible. Then you should either use additional instrumentation to
better determine the radiation field and/or consult your radio or other news sources for
additional information. At the same time you should try to move out of the radiation field.
A lot will depend on why you are in a radiation field.
There will be a big difference between a terrorist attack with a dirty bomb or a small
nuclear weapon or multiple nuclear detonations in a nuclear war. A terrorist attack will
probably allow you to move out of the danger area more easily. The weapons used in a
nuclear war are another matter. However, both scenarios are survivable with the proper
knowledge and preparations. A lot will depend on your initial exposure, your pre-planning
for different potential nuclear emergency scenarios and what you first do after your
instrument alarms.
You may have to deal with both internal radiation contamination and exposure, where one
could inhale or ingest radioactive materials OR external radiation exposure, that generates
radiation much like an X-ray machine stuck in the “ON” position would create.
To minimize internal exposures much can be done by simply assuring your water and food
stays free from contamination by fallout particles and by employing a simple common
dust mask or damp cloth over your mouth and nose to reduce inhaling airborne radioactive
particles. While this will not guarantee full internal protection, it will go a very long
ways towards protecting the lungs from inhaling radioactive particles and should not be
overlooked.
Additionally, the internal uptake by the body of radioisotopes can be blocked in some
cases. For example, potassium iodide (KI) or iodate (KIO3) if given prior to or soon after
an intake of radioiodine, will reduce the uptake of radioiodine by the thyroid gland.
Similarly, orally administered Prussian Blue will reduce the absorption of cesium from the
gut and Alginate will reduce strontium absorption. (See www.NukAlert.com for more
detailed information.)
There are three fundamental principles involved in the protection of people from the
effects of external radiation (basically gamma radiation). These are time, distance and
shielding.
Protection of a person from harm by external radiation may be provided by, first, controlling
the time of exposure; secondly, by controlling the distance between the person
and the radiation source; and third, by placing a radiation absorbing material, i.e., some
shielding between the source of radiation and the person. The first of these, time, is
always involved. That is, time is used in conjunction with distance or shielding or both.
As a comparison, consider protection of your eyes while trying to obtain a tan from a sun
lamp. The ultra-violet rays that produce the tanning are harmful to the eyes. A small
amount can be tolerated but exceeding that amount will cause damage to your eyes. You
can protect your eyes by any one or a combination of three ways. First, you can protect
your eyes by limiting the amount of time you spend under the sun lamp. The less time
you look at the lamp, the less damage will be done to your eyes. Second, the greater the
distance you are from the sun lamp the less the intensity of the ultra-violet rays will be
on your eyes. Thus, by regulating the distance between you and the sun lamp, the source
of harmful rays, you are protecting your eyes. Third, you can shield your eyes by wearing
effective tanning goggles.
To better understand these three types of protection, let’s consider each separately. First,
time is very important. The dose received by a person exposed to radiation is the product
of the rate of exposure and the total time exposed. Thus if you are exposed to a radiation
field of 12.8 roentgens per hour (R/hr), the NukAlert™ eight chirp alarm level, for
2 hours, you will have received a radiation dose of approximately 25.6 R. That is very
straightforward. It is simply the rate times the time. Minimizing that time exposed will
minimize your total dose received.
Another time consideration is the fallout radiation intensity following a nuclear explosion.
Time is a major protection factor following a nuclear explosion. The fallout radiation
intensity “decays” or is diminished at a specific rate. The rate of decay is usually identified
as the radioactive half-life. Half-life is the time required for the activity of a particular
isotope to be reduced by one-half. The half-lives of the multitude of radioisotopes
produced in a nuclear detonation range from fractions of a second, to seconds, to minutes,
to hours, to years and to multiple years. The total radioactivity of the newly formed
fallout from a nuclear explosion decreases very rapidly at first because it contains many
radioisotopes with very short half-lives. The rate of decrease lessens as time goes by
because the short half-life materials have decayed and the remaining materials are
radioisotopes with longer half-lives.
There is a mathematical formula to describe the average decay of the fallout from a typical
nuclear weapon, but a generalized “rule-of-thumb” serves us better for emergency
field use. The rule-of-thumb is “for every seven fold increase in time after a nuclear detonation,
the radiation intensity (exposure rate) decreases by a factor of ten”. It is important
for you to know that as time increases the radiation intensity decreases. For example:
if the radiation level is measured to be 1,000 roentgens per hour (R/hr), one hour
after a nuclear detonation, then seven hours after the detonation the radiation intensity
will be 1,000/10 or only 100 R/hr. Additionally, for another 7 fold increase in time (7 x 7
hr = 49 hr) the radiation intensity will have reduced to only 10 R/hr. And, yet another
seven fold increase in time (7 hr x 7 x 7 or 49 hr x 7 = 343 hr or 14.3 days) the radiation
level would be reduced to 1 R/hr.
Civil Defense planning placed so much emphasis on fallout
shelters and why sheltering in the event of a nuclear disaster can be so important.
Sheltering allows you to take advantage of the natural factors of radioactive fallout decay
and allows you to wait out the danger, putting time on your side to provide you with protection.
Note that the above chart applies only to fission and fusion weapons and does not apply
to the so-called “Dirty Bomb” or RDD (Radiological Dispersal Device). The reason it does
not apply to an RDD is that they are expected to be made up of only a couple of the common
and more easily obtainable commercial isotopes (such as Cobalt-60 or Cesium-137)
that all have relatively long half-lives. Fortunately, though, they will likely not have contaminated
as extensive an area as a fission or fusion nuclear bomb and effective prompt
evacuation will likely be a more viable alternative.
The second item in your defense is distance. There is a relatively simple mathematical
relationship between the distance and intensity for a “point” source of radioactive material.
It is somewhat more complex for an extended or “plane” source where the radioactive
material is all around you. However, it is sufficient to note that the further you are
from radioactivity, the less your exposure will be.
For example: suppose you are standing by a large fluorescent light panel. Up close, the
light will appear to be very bright. However, as you move away from the light panel, the
brightness of the panel will appear to diminish. The same effect occurs when you move
away from a large, extended source of gamma radiation. As you move away from the
source of radiation, the intensity of the radiation that reaches you diminishes.
Now let’s consider the third method of protection, shielding. One of the ways that gamma
radiation damages living tissue is by knocking electrons from their orbits in the atoms
composing the tissue. This is called ionization. If ionization occurs to a sufficient number
of atoms in living tissue, without sufficient time for recovery, the result is radiation damage.
To prevent radiation damage we can stop a large portion of the gamma rays before
they reach the living tissue by placing a shield of some dense material, containing many
electrons, between the source of the gamma rays and our body. Just as body armor can
stop bullets, shielding can protect us from gamma rays and radiation damage. In general,
the denser the material used for a shield, the more electrons available to interact with
the gamma rays and act as absorbers.
So, considering the density of shielding material, lead is better than concrete, which is
better than dirt, which is better than water, which is better than wood. Any one of which
may be used to provide an effective shield against gamma radiation. To compare, the
“tenth-value” thickness, in inches, for concrete, 11; for earth, 16; for water, 24; for wood,
38. That means that where you have those thicknesses you’ll have only 1/10th as much
gamma radiation pass through with that barrier material. Plain dirt is free and plentiful
and just 3.6 inches of packed earth reduces the gamma radiation penetration by half
which means you have a Protection Factor (PF) of 2. With 18 inches you have a PF 32
and with 30 inches it’s over PF 300 and with 3 feet of earth you are at about 1000 PF
under it or 1/1000 the radiation on the topside! (More information on the shielding properties
of different materials and effective strategies for employing them are at
www.NukAlert.com.)
Considering the three protection methods of time, distance and shielding, when the alarm
sounds, there are two options that you have in order to assure your survival. You will
need to choose whether to seek shelter or evacuate. The following discussions will aid
you in making the choice that is best for you, your situation, and the nature of the particular
future nuclear emergency you may have to deal with.
Your initial concern should be, “Why did my NukAlert™ alarm?”
First, it is important to note the time of the alarm and approximate the radiation intensity
by the number of chirps from your alarm. It would be a good idea to write down the time
and number of chirps. That will allow you to determine your initial approximate exposure.
Immediately afterwards, you should try to determine if there is information available on
the radio or television. If you have access to additional radiation instrumentation, you
should also try to measure and confirm the radiation field in your immediate area. Then,
as quickly as possible, try to move to an area with less radiation intensity. This is important
because you want to keep your radiation exposure As Low As Reasonably Achievable
(ALARA). Ideally, in the event of a nuclear emergency, you would like to keep your acute
exposure (exposure received within a two week period) at 100 roentgens (R) or less.
That is because a person who has received 100 R or less of acute exposure has a 100%
probability of survival and will have little or no symptoms of radiation sickness. (Note that
even if your NukAlert™ monitor is in the highest continuous alarm mode, you probably
still have time to move to a lower radiation level before you have received a dangerous
dose.) The alarm rate indicates the radiation intensity in R per hour but may be just on
the verge of the next alarm level. So, if your alarm is giving 6 chirps in each sequence
that would indicate 3.2 R per hour. But, to be conservative, you should consider it to pos-
sibly be approaching the next higher level, which would be 6.4 R per hour. And it would
take over 15 hours before you would have a cumulative exposure of 100 roentgens. (6.4
R/hr X 15.6 hr = 99.84 R) However, during that time you should be doing things to
reduce your exposure to As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA).
Now, should you evacuate or shelter?
Variables to be considered are whether a nuclear emergency has already commenced or
is only imminent. Also, the nature, quantity, and proximity of the nuclear threat; localized
nuclear terrorism or a possible escalation into an international nuclear exchange.
Quickly changing scenarios may even deteriorate to where evacuation becomes impossible
and last minute sheltering in-place is your only option. Or, you may even be forced
from an inadequate shelter situation into a rushed evacuation and refuge status. The following
table lists some of the factors that you should consider in making these important
decisions for future nuclear emergencies.
If you plan to evacuate, there is a very good checklist of what you need on page 33 of
“Nuclear War Survival Skills” by C. H. Kearny, author of the original Oak Ridge National
Laboratory edition and available free on-line at www.NukAlert.com. Embracing the motto:
“Be Prepared” could mean the difference between a thoughtful survival response or a
wasteful panicked reaction.
If you decide to shelter, you have several options with a little pre-planning. First, you
may explore if any buildings in your community have been identified as Civil Defense
Shelters. Less emphasis has been placed on these in the past few years. However, if you
look around and contact government agencies, before an emergency develops, you may
You live within 10 miles of a major target
and attack is imminent or an RDD ‘dirtybomb’
explosion has contaminated your