{"id":2302,"date":"2016-03-24T17:18:12","date_gmt":"2016-03-24T17:18:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.abetteremergency.com\/blog\/?p=2302"},"modified":"2017-01-09T17:54:12","modified_gmt":"2017-01-09T17:54:12","slug":"radiological-event-considerations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/abetteremergency.com\/blog\/2016\/03\/radiological-event-considerations\/","title":{"rendered":"Radiological Event Considerations"},"content":{"rendered":"

Radiation tends to be a word that conjures up fear for some so I thought I would offer some basic considerations to keep in mind. \u00a0The recent concern over North Korea testing a hydrogen bomb<\/a>\u00a0and the report the brothers behind the latest Brussels bombing hoped to build a so-called “dirty bomb<\/a>,” offers a teaching moment for organizations.<\/p>\n

Is a dirty bomb a nuclear weapon?<\/em><\/p>\n

No. Nuclear weapons involve a complex nuclear-fission reaction and are thousands of times more devastating.<\/p>\n

Is a dirty bomb a weapon of mass destruction?<\/em><\/p>\n

Yes, but more because of its capacity to cause terror and disruption than its ability to inflict heavy casualties. Depending on the sophistication of the bomb, wind conditions, and the speed with which the area of the attack was evacuated, the number of deaths and injuries from a dirty bomb explosion might not be substantially greater than from a conventional bomb explosion. But panic over radioactivity and evacuation measures could create chaos. Moreover, the area struck would be off-limits during cleanup efforts, effectively paralyzing a local economy and reinforcing public fears.<\/p>\n

Has a dirty bomb ever been detonated?<\/em><\/p>\n

No. According to a UN report, Iraq tested a one-ton radiological bomb in 1987 but gave up on the idea because the radiation levels it generated were insufficient. In 1995 Chechen rebels planted, but failed to detonate a dirty bomb consisting of dynamite and cesium 137 in Moscow’s Ismailovsky Park. \"\"<\/a>In 2002 the United States arrested an alleged al-Qaeda operative, Jose Padilla, for plotting to build and detonate a dirty bomb in an American city.<\/p>\n

If we agree the threat of a dirty bomb is at least possible, let’s review some facts about radiation. \u00a0The United States Department of Energy sets a maximum annual occupational limit at 5,000 mrem, maximum emergency dose for saving property at 10,000 mrem and the maximum emergency dose for saving a life at 25,000 mrem. \u00a0We all get around 360 mrem per year from naturally occurring background radiation. \u00a0A chest x-ray adds about 10-20 mrem. \u00a0Flights add on 0.5 mrem for every hour in the air. \u00a0Smoking 1.5 packs\/day adds 16,000 mrem per year. \u00a0Mild radiation sickness occurs at about 200,000 mrem and a lethal dose of radiation is 450,000 mrem.<\/p>\n

In a dirty bomb the blast effects and shrapnel of the conventional explosive device cause the most physical harm to victims. \u00a0The intent is to spread radioactive contamination over some area, potentially causing physical harm via exposure to radioactive material but even greater psychological impact due to the public’s fear of radiation. \u00a0Exposure means a person may have been subject to radiation energy, but they are not contaminated and themselves pose no risk of spreading radioactive material to others. \u00a0Contamination means a person has radioactive particulate material on them. \u00a0This is most likely in a dirty bomb. \u00a0Contamination itself is not an acute medical emergency and it’s presence should not preclude delivery of life-saving care.<\/p>\n

Protection from radioactive damage is obtained through:<\/p>\n

Time<\/strong> – limit the time you are near any source of radioactive material<\/p>\n

Distance<\/strong> – The inverse square rule applies. When you double your distance from the source, the amount of radiation goes down by a factor of four. \u00a0Conversely exercise caution about approaching a source of radiation since every time you halve the distance, your dose rate increases by four.<\/p>\n

Shielding <\/strong>–\u00a0<\/strong>As ionizing radiation passes through matter, the intensity of the radiation is diminished.\u00a0 Shielding is the placement of an \u201cabsorber\u201d between you and the radiation source. An absorber is a material that reduces radiation from the radiation source to you. Alpha, beta, or gamma radiation can all be stopped by different thicknesses of absorbers.\u00a0Shielding material can include barrels, boards, vehicles, buildings, gravel, water, lead or whatever else is immediately available.<\/p>\n

ALPHA \u2013 can be stopped after traveling through about 1.2 inches of air, about 0.008 inches of water. \u00a0A thin piece of paper, or even the dead cells in the outer layer of human skin provides adequate shielding because alpha particles can\u2019t penetrate it. However, living tissue inside the body offers no protection against inhaled or ingested alpha emitters. \u00a0Covering your nose and mouth with your shirt fabric to filter out airborne dust post blast would be wise.<\/p>\n

BETA \u2013 can only be stopped after traveling through about 10 feet of air,\u00a0 less than 2 inches of water, or a thin layer of glass or metal. Additional covering, for example heavy clothing, is necessary to protect against beta- emitters. Some beta particles can penetrate and burn the skin. \u00a0Had the Chechen device been detonated, BETA would have been the primary radioactive hazard. Quite manageable if thought is given to the correct response based on risk.<\/p>\n

GAMMA: To reduce typical gamma rays by a factor of a billion, thicknesses of shielding need to be about 13.8 feet of water, about 6.6 feet of concrete, or about 1.3 feet of lead. Thick, dense shielding \u00a0is necessary to protect against gamma rays. The higher the energy of the gamma ray, the thicker the shield must be. X-rays pose a similar challenge. This is why x-ray technicians often give patients receiving medical or dental X-rays a lead apron to cover other parts of their body.<\/p>\n

Medical Response Considerations to a Dirty-bomb Event<\/strong><\/p>\n