radiation exposure

Radiation Contamination vs. Radiation Exposure

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Radioactive contamination and radiation exposure could occur if radioactive materials are released into the environment as the result of an accident, an event in nature, or an act of terrorism. Such a release could expose people and contaminate their surroundings and personal property.

Watch the video. URL: https://youtu.be/Ry2YpGjnakg

Types of Contamination

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Internal Contamination

Internal contamination occurs when people swallow or breathe in radioactive materials, or when radioactive materials enter the body through an open wound or are absorbed through the skin. Some types of radioactive materials stay in the body and are deposited in different body organs. Other types are eliminated from the body in blood, sweat, urine, and feces.

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Radioactive Contamination

Radioactive contamination occurs when radioactive material is deposited on or in an object or a person. Radioactive materials released into the environment can cause air, water, surfaces, soil, plants, buildings, people, or animals to become contaminated. A contaminated person has radioactive materials on or inside their body.

How Radioactive Contamination Is Spread

People who are externally contaminated with radioactive material can contaminate other people or surfaces that they touch. For example, people who have radioactive dust on their clothing may spread the radioactive dust when they sit in chairs or hug other people.

People who are internally contaminated can expose people near them to radiation from the radioactive material inside their bodies. The body fluids (blood, sweat, urine) of an internally contaminated person can contain radioactive materials. Coming in contact with these body fluids can result in contamination and/or exposure.

External contamination image

External Contamination

External contamination occurs when radioactive material, in the form of dust, powder, or liquid, comes into contact with a person’s skin, hair, or clothing. In other words, the contact is external to a person’s body. People who are externally contaminated can become internally contaminated if radioactive material gets into their bodies.

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Radiation Exposure

Radioactive materials give off a form of energy that travels in waves or particles. This energy is called radiation. When a person is exposed to radiation, the energy penetrates the body. For example, when a person has an x-ray, he or she is exposed to radiation.

How Your Home Could Become Contaminated

People who are externally contaminated can spread the contamination by touching surfaces, sitting in a chair, or even walking through a house. Contaminants can easily fall from clothing and contaminate other surfaces.

Homes can also become contaminated with radioactive materials in body fluids from internally contaminated people. Making sure that others do not come in contact with body fluids from a contaminated person will help prevent contamination of other people in the household.

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How You Can Limit Contamination

Since radiation cannot be seen, smelled, felt, or tasted, people at the site of an incident will not know whether radioactive materials were involved. You can take the following steps to limit your contamination.

  1. Get out of the immediate area quickly. Go inside the nearest safe building or to an area to which you are directed by law enforcement or health officials.
  2. Remove the outer layer of your clothing. If radioactive material is on your clothes, getting it away from you will reduce the external contamination and decrease the risk of internal contamination. It will also reduce the length of time that you are exposed to radiation.
  3. If possible, place the clothing in a plastic bag or leave it in an out-of-the-way area, such as the corner of a room. Keep people away from it to reduce their exposure to radiation. Keep cuts and abrasions covered when handling contaminated items to avoid getting radioactive material in them.
  4. Wash all of the exposed parts of your body using lots of soap and lukewarm water to remove contamination. This process is called decontamination. Try to avoid spreading contamination to parts of the body that may not be contaminated, such as areas that were clothed.
  5. After authorities determine that internal contamination may have occurred, you may be able to take medication to reduce the radioactive material in your body.

The Best Headphones for Kids That Won’t Damage Their Ears

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In this age of electronics and personal earbud entertainment, noise-induced hearing loss is an ongoing issue, and of particular concern with children, who may not be aware of the noisy dangers lurking in their ears. To that end, USA Today has offered some ideas for volume-limiting headphones you can buy for your kids that can help preserve their hearing.

Aside from the fact that noise-induced hearing loss is permanent, there are other safety concerns about electronic devices that you need to be aware of, for both your children and yourself. For example, heavy cell phone use without the aid of speaker phone or a well-shielded wired headset is a cancer risk in the making.

If it were my choice, I would not let a child use a cell phone at all, as children are far more vulnerable to cell phone radiation than adults. Even with adults, studies show that those who use their cell phones the most are twice as likely to develop lethal brain cancer (glioma) compared to those whose exposure is minimal.

So, while you’re shopping for a safe headset, be sure it uses a combination of shielded wire and air-tube. These operate like a stethoscope, transmitting the sound to your head as an actual sound wave; although there are wires that still must be shielded, there is no wire that goes all the way up to your head.

Also avoid carrying your cell phone on your body, and do not sleep with it under your pillow or near your head. Placing a cell phone in your bra or in a shirt pocket over your heart is also asking for trouble, as the most dangerous place to be, in terms of radiation exposure, is within about six inches of the emitting antenna.

Source:mercola.com

Study finds advanced CT scanners reduce patient radiation exposure

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Computed tomography scans are an accepted standard of care for diagnosing heart and lung conditions. But clinicians worry that the growing use of CT scans could be placing patients at a higher lifetime risk of cancer from radiation exposure.

Beaumont Health System research, published in the June 20 online issue of the Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography, found that the use of advanced CT scanning equipment is helping to address this important concern.

The study, of 2,085 at nine centers in the U.S. and Middle East, found that using newer generation, dual-source CT scanners significantly reduced for patients when compared with first generation, 64-slice, single-source scanners or first generation, dual-source CT scanners.

Patient radiation exposure was reduced by 61 percent with the newer scanners, with no significant difference in image quality for patients having CT scans for , pulmonary embolism or aortic disease.

“Newer technology makes a difference in terms of radiation exposure and the difference is quite large,” says study author Kavitha Chinnaiyan, M.D., director of Advanced Cardiac Imaging Research at Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak. “It is important for patients to ask questions when referred for a radiation-based test to understand what the procedure involves and what the risks are of the particular technique and if there are alternative imaging choices.”

The study findings also have important implications for referring physicians.

“Clinicians must understand that imaging studies not only have a major impact on the care of an individual patient, but also on trends in radiation exposure, as well as overall health care costs,” says Dr. Chinnaiyan. “Incidental findings may require further imaging studies with other radiation-based tests. In addition to choosing patients appropriately, it is important to discuss the risks and benefits of testing with patients, and to refer them to centers that offer newer technologies.”

The study results provide information that will help in setting standards for radiation safety quality control in cardiovascular imaging.

Beaumont cardiologists are world leaders in cardiac CT imaging research and have published studies on the use of CT imaging for identifying heart obstructions requiring invasive heart catheterization; for diagnosing or predicting heart attack; for identifying unstable plaque likely to cause a heart attack; and for diagnosing chest pain patients in the Emergency Center.

Hunt Continues For Materials That Withstand Radiation Exposure.

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We rely on satellites and airplanes as well as nuclear reactors and implantable medical devices for essential parts of everyday life. Yet materials used in such applications are frequently exposed to damaging radiation, whether from cosmic rays, nuclear fission, or sterilizing gamma radiation.

That radiation damage can pose big problems. In electronics for example, “you can have transient effects that can change the memory of a device and give erroneous readings temporarily,” said Ram Devanathan, a materials scientist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. “Or you could have a device that becomes more and more sluggish as time passes and damage accumulates. Another possibility is a situation in which a device fails catastrophically.” If that electronic device controls navigation or life support, any sort of failure can be disastrous.

Efforts to develop materials that stand up to damaging radiation were the focus of a symposium in the Nuclear Chemistry & Technology Division at the American Chemical Society meeting in Dallas last month. In addition to the hunt for new materials, researchers discussed work to understand the mechanisms behind radiation damage. In some cases, they are finding that radiation isn’t damaging at all—it actually improves materials’ performance.

One place where materials must withstand radiation is in nuclear power plants. Devanathan, who organized the symposium, is studying the ceramics used as inert matrices for nuclear fuel. His team hopes to understand what happens to these ceramics when they’re exposed to swiftly moving particles from nuclear fission.

“The radiation is like a bowling ball—it comes in and knocks atoms out of place,” Devanathan said. The resulting effects occur on nanometer length scales and nanosecond time frames, forcing scientists to turn to computer simulations to fully understand the mechanisms at play. “It’s very difficult to capture all the details in an experiment,” Devanathan said. “Modeling and simulation can re-create a variety of radiation-damage scenarios, examine transient events that are hard to pin down experimentally, and isolate individual processes to identify their role in damage accumulation.”

With the help of modeling, Devanathan and colleagues have found that ceramics containing titanium are more susceptible to radiation damage than similar materials that contain zirconium. In zirconate ceramics, the atoms are better able to diffuse through the material so it can self-repair.

The difference seems to stem from the fact that bonds in zirconate materials have more ionic character, whereas bonds in titanate materials have more covalent character. “In the overall competition between damage accumulation and recovery processes, subtle changes in chemistry are able to tilt the balance one way or another,” Devanathan explained.

Scientists are also looking for new radiation-tolerant structural materials to use to collect nuclear fuel pellets into rods. These materials must be able to stand up to additional severe challenges: high temperatures and steam. During Japan’s 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, loss of water circulation caused water normally used to cool reactors and spent fuel to heat up and evaporate. The resulting steam reacted with the zirconium alloy that enclosed the fuel pellets, releasing hydrogen gas that subsequently exploded. The U.S. Department of Energy is now funding programs to create more accident-tolerant fuel assemblies.

GE Global Research, one of the DOE grant recipients, is trying to replace the zirconium alloy with steel, which should be radiation tolerant and resist reacting with steam, said Raul Rebak, a corrosion engineer at the company. The zirconium alloy technology was transplanted from Navy submarines, he said. The zirconium material is lighter than steel, and neutrons pass through it more easily to initiate chain reactions, minimizing the necessary amount of fuel. Those qualities make the zirconium alloy attractive when trying to squeeze a reactor into a submarine. But they’re less important for aboveground reactors, Rebak said.

Reactors generally work at 300 °C, and target accident conditions are 1,000 °C, Rebak said. So far, GE’s team has just looked at how different steels behave in normal operating conditions and accident scenarios—in particular, whether and how much they crack and react with steam. The two best candidates better resist corrosion and cracking and react with steam far less than zirconium alloys, Rebak said. The steels are iron based; one also contains chromium, aluminum, and molybdenum, while the other incorporates chromium and nickel.

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Before and after photos of a zirconium alloy and several steel samples exposed to steam at 800 ºC for 24 hours.

STEAMED
Before (top) and after (bottom) photos of a zirconium alloy (far left) and several steel samples exposed to steam at 800 ºC for 24 hours to mimic nuclear accident conditions.
Credit: GE Global Research

Still to come are experiments to characterize radiation resistance and what happens when the steels are formed into tubes that are 14 feet long and 0.375 inches in diameter rather than tested as small samples. To get around the neutron transparency problem, scientists may try to make the tube walls thinner. That’s possible because the steels are stronger than the zirconium alloy, Rebak said. As a bonus, the steels are also cheaper than the zirconium alloy.

In other high-radiation environments—for example, those experienced by aircraft or implantable electronics—nanomaterials might fit the bill. Composite materials incorporating nanotubes, for example, are often touted for being lightweight but highly durable, which are qualities particularly attractive to the aerospace industry. Nanotubes and nanowires are both candidates for electronic devices.

Kai Nordlund, a materials physics professor at the University of Helsinki, in Finland, has studied radiation effects on nanotubes both individually and in bundles. Radiation punches holes in carbon nanotubes, leaving a displaced carbon atom to bind itself elsewhere. The holes weaken the nanotubes. Although the holes and displaced atoms may move around, whether the tubes can repair themselves depends on temperature.

In multiwalled carbon nanotubes or in bundles of nanotubes, however, the defects behave differently. In these cases, the holes and displaced atoms can react to form bridges that link nanotube walls together. Those bridges reduce the ability of tubes to slide past each other and make carbon nanotube materials more rigid, a plus in some applications. In one experiment, a bundle of nanotubes became 100 times stiffer when it was irradiated, Nordlund said.

Nordlund and colleagues have also investigated radiation effects on silicon and gallium-nitride nanowires that could be used in devices such as transistors. They use radiation that mimics that from solar flares. The researchers found that high-energy particles are likely to pass through nanowires without damaging them. Low-energy particles, however, cause more damage—and also more damage to nanowires than to bulk materials. The effect seems to be related to the higher surface area of the nanowires because the threshold energy for surface damage is lower than interior damage, Nordlund said. Surface damage is also less likely to self-repair than interior damage.

Beyond nanotubes and nanowires are nano-enabled technologies of interest for new generations of memory cells. One candidate is resistive memory, in which a solid electrolyte such as a chalcogen material or silicon dioxide is sandwiched between two electrodes, an oxidizable anode and an electrochemically inert cathode. The distance between the electrodes is typically a few tens of nanometers. Apply a small voltage across the setup, and a tiny filament grows in between the two electrodes. That filament changes the resistance of the electrolyte, and that change in resistance represents a stored bit.

Resistive memory devices are proving to be quite radiation-tolerant, said Michael N. Kozicki, an electrical engineering professor and director of the Center for Applied Nanoionics at Arizona State University. He is also founder and chief technology officer of Axon Technologies, based in Scottsdale, Ariz. “We’ve basically tried to murder the little guys” with high doses of gamma radiation, high-energy electrons and ions, and X-rays, Kozicki said. “The radiation doesn’t seem to bother them at all.” If anything, they seem to perform a bit better, he said, as if the radiation causes a kind of annealing effect that smooths memory performance.

How To Fight Radiation Exposure Naturally.

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With the recent nuclear catastrophe happening in Japan as well as the probability that nuclear events will continue to be a part of our world, it’s prudent to have good reference information as to how the body can be supported (using natural means) and protected should high radiation exposure become a reality.  Knowledge and information empower and should always propel one toward effective preparation and planning, not fear. The power of fear is destructive in that it paralyzes resulting in unwise decisions.  Along with knowledge and preparedness, we must also be aware of the very real probability that the general public will not be privy to factual information. Hopefully my readers will copy this information and place in a safe place for future reference.

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Fighting Radiation & Chemical Pollutants with Foods, Herbs, & Vitamins by Steven R. Schechter, ND was required reading when I was studying for my ND. It’s difficult now to find copies at a reasonable price of this out of print but very informational book.  Below are some of the chapter titles and information that Dr. Schechter deals with in his book as well as some of my own research/suggestions.

“These foods and food substances will enhance the immune system and protect
against the dangerous side effects of radiation.” –Dr. Steven R. Schechter. 

The time to implement these foods is now in order to build up the body as well as the immune system.  Most of the foods and vitamins/minerals are “protective” meaning that they should be implented before a radiation event occurs.
Each of these can be researched individually on the Internet such as “bee pollen+nuclear radiation protection”, etc. in order to find out how it is helpful/useful to the body.

Fighting Radiation with Food

Sea Vegetables – According to a 1964 McGill University study published in the “Canadian Medical Association Journal,” sodium alginate from kelp reduced radioactive strontium absorption in the intestines by 50 to 80 percent. The sodium alginate allowed calcium to be absorbed through the intestinal wall while binding most of the strontium, which was excreted out of the body.  Some of the more popular sea vegetables to consume are kelp, arame, wakame and kombu. Canadian researchers reported that sea vegetables contained a polysaccharide substance that selectively bound radioactive strontium and helped eliminate it from the body. In laboratory experiments, sodium alginate prepared from kelp, kombu, and other brown seaweeds off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts was introduced along with strontium and calcium into rats. The reduction of radioactive particles in bone uptake, measured in the femur, reached as high as 80 percent, with little interference with calcium absorption. “The evaluation of biological activity of different marine algae is important because of their practical significance in preventing absorption of radioactive products of atomic fission as well as in their use as possible natural decontaminators.” Source: Y. Tanaka et al., “Studies on Inhibition of Intestinal Absorption of Radio-Active Strontium,” Canadian Medical Association Journal 99:169-75, 1968.
The Atomic Energy Commission recommends for maximum protection against radioactive poisoning for humans, taking a minimum of 2 to 3 ounces of sea vegetables a week or 10 grams (two tablespoons) a day of sodium alginate supplements. During or after exposure to radiation, the dosage should be increased to two full tablespoons of alginate four times daily to insure that there is a continual supply in the GI or gastrointestinal tract. There may be a rare concern of constipation but this can be avoided if the sodium alginate is made into a fruit gelatin. Agar, derived from sodium alginate in kelp, is a safe, nontoxic substance that can be used as a thickening agent or gelatin.
Bee Pollen – Studies show that bee pollen can significantly reduce the usual side effects of both radium and cobalt-60 radiotherapy and also the sickness after massive abdominal x-rays. One study showed that the proliferation of cancer cells stopped in cancerous tumors induced in mice.  (This is only indicative and does not purport to be medical advice. One should go to the source and study the relevant information before drawing conclusions. Try to get real bee pollen from an organic bee keeper, uncooked.)
Bee Propolis – Besides the healing and anti bacterial qualities of this substance, it has been effective in clinical stages of radioepithelitis, i.e. inflammation of epithelial tissue due to radiation. (Same as above.  Get unheated, raw organic honey; it is a good source of pollen, royal jelly and propolis.)
Beets – Beets have been shown to rebuild hemoglobin of the blood after exposure to radiation. Rats fed a diet of 20 percent beet pulp were able to prevent cesium-137 absorption and 97 to 100 percent more effectively than rats given no beets.
Dried, Primary-Grown Nutritional Yeast – Besides having Vitamin E,  it also contains the nucleic acids RNA and DNA, both of which have been shown to have radio protective qualities.  It has been shown to help rebuild and regenerate cells damaged by radiation, and also to produce relief from radiation poisoning and it’s many horrible symptoms.  Nutritional yeast has a good amount of many important nutrients.  Primary –grown yeasts bonds with and absorb heavy metals such as uranium, lead and mercury!
Garlic – Garlic’s high sulfur content supports natural antioxidant systems like glutathione. Garlic extracts protect red blood cells from radiation damage by a glutathione-related mechanism. In mice, garlic extracts prevented radiation damage to chromosomes in vulnerable bone marrow cells.
Onions – Cysteine, present in onions, binds with and deactivates both the radioactive isotopes and toxic metals such as cadmium, lead and mercury. The sulfur in cysteine helps the kidneys and liver detoxify the body.
Chlorophyll – A Report by Scottist in 1986 and report from Japan showed that increase absorption of Cadmium by Chlorella and increased excretion of Cadmium by threefold after intake of Chlorella from animal testing. Chlorella can also detoxify Uranium, Lead, Copper, PCB. Source: ” A good Health Guide: Chlorella ” by William H Lee. R. Ph.D. and Michael Rosenbaum, M.D. Guinea pigs on a diet rich in chlorophyll showed increased resistance to lethal X-rays.
U.S. Army report in 1950
Oils – Plant oils such as unrefined and cold-pressed olive oil, flaxseed oil.
Foods rich in pectin – Pectin is able to bind radioactive residues and remove them from the body. It also acts as a natural chelating agent. Apples, guavas, plums, gooseberries, oranges and other citrus fruits are recommended.  Be sure to effectively wash all fruit/vegetables before consuming.

Fighting Radiation with Vitamins & Minerals

Vitamin A – In 1974, researchers from India found that vitamin A, when taken internally by humans, hastened recovery from radiation.  In 1984, Dr. Eli Seifter and a team of researchers fro the Albert Einstein College of Medicine….reported vitamin A and beta-carotene counteracted both partial and total body gamma radiation. It also improved the healing of wounds; reduced weight loss, thymic and splenic atrophy, and adrenal enlargement; and prevented gastro-ulceration and an abnormal decrease in red and white blood cell formation.  (The therapeutic purposes, 25,000 to 35,000 IU are recommended for adults.  During emergencies or crisis situations, intensive exposure may warrant as much as 40,000 to 100,000 IU of beta-carotene, but should be taken for no more than three to four weeks. Infants should not consume high amounts. This info is only very partial and you should consult the book for specifics.)
Vitamin C & Bio-flavonoids – Italian researchers in 1966 found that Vitamin D, in combination with vitamins A and the entire B Complex, helps remove radioactive isotopes such as strontium-85 and strontium-90 from the bones and the body. Vitamin D also helps protect against some common pollutants, including lead and cadmium, according to Airola in How to Get Well.
Vitamin E (natural not synthetic) – Radiation destroys leukocytes in both tissues and the blood, according to S. L. Robbins in Pathologic Basis of Disease ( W. B. Saunders, 1974).  In Japan, I. Kurokawa and co-workers found that blood given vitamin E maintained a white cell count twice as high as blood not given vitamin E but exposed to the same radiation.  Vitamin E has also been shown to produce internal and external protection in mice irradiated by cesium-137. Vitamin E and selenium are best taken at the same time since selenium preserves vitamin E.
Interesting to note about the ACE (Vitamins A-C-E) – A remarkable study among X-ray technicians reveals just how powerful antioxidant vitamins can be. Radiology techs are nominally protected by elaborate shielding, but they’re still exposed to unnaturally high levels of radiation over the course of a lifetime. As a result they tend to have higher levels of tissue oxidation. But when a group of techs was supplemented with vitamins C (500 mg) and E (150 mg) daily for 15 weeks, their markers of tissue oxidation plummeted, and their levels of natural antioxidants (such as glutathione in red blood cells) rose significantly. (Kayan M, Naziroglu M, Celik O, Yalman K, Koylu H. Vitamin C and E combination modulates oxidative stress induced by X-ray in blood of smoker and nonsmoker radiology technicians. Cell Biochem Funct. 2009 Oct;27(7):424-9.)
B3 Nicotinic Acid – Have on hand the Acid form of B3 rather than the salt form, Niacinamide, which is basically useless.  Several sources indicate that large doses of niacin B3 were used in treating victims of radiation poisoning after the Chernobyl meltdown. B3 will cause the body to detox and therefore it is wise to make sure that your liver has been detoxed and is supported properly.  Chemical poisoning slows down the liver.
Calcium – Protects against strontium-90, calcium-45 and other radioisotopes.

Magnesium – Like Calcium, magnesium prevents the uptake of strontium-90 and other radioisotopes.  It helps to eliminate already absorbed strontium-90 as well.  One study has shown that exposure to gamma radiation can decrease calcium and magnesium levels in the blood.  As a result, optimal levels of both minerals in the diet are essential after one is exposed to higher amounts of radiation.
Selenium – As selenomethionine. Has been shown to decrease the mortality rate of rats exposed to irradiation, and to alleviate leucopenia (abnormal decreases of white blood corpuscles).  Selenium greatly reduces cancer in animals exposed to cancer-causing agents.
Zinc – Natural zinc will help the body eliminate several toxic heavy metals, including cadmium, aluminum, lead, and excess copper.

Potassium – Cesium-137, cesium-134, potassium-40, and potassium-42 are radioactive, competitive sister elements of natural potassium, all of which are in the same chemical family.  These radionuclides are absorbed by the body when there is a deficiency of natural potassium.  They concentrate primarily in the reproductive organs and the muscles. Cesium-137 is common in nuclear fallout, and can often be detected in our food, soil, and water.  The authors of one study described our biosphere as “contaminated with radiocesium.” Researchers discovered that after the accident at Chernobyl, iodine-131 and cesium-137 were the most prevalent radionuclides in samples of food from the USSR and from Poland, Hungary, and other parts of Eastern Europe.  Cesium-137 is also already being used in some countries to irradiate foods as a means of extending their shelf life at the supermarket.  Research by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences demonstrates that natural potassium decreases the concentration of radiocesium.  Begin to add potassium rich foods such as bananas, potatoes+peels, etc.  If a nuclear event escalates in which cessium is being released, then also adding supplemental potassium is recommended. Potassium regulation is affected by magnesium.  For magnesium deficiency include leafy green veggies, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and black beans
Iron – Research done in Czechoslovakia showed that whole body irradiation disturbed absorption of iron, and functions of red blood cells, plasma, and bone marrow.  Other researchers found that amma-irradiation of the whole body or of the abdomen decreased absorption of iron, vitamin B12 and lipids.
MSM – As plants take in MSM from the soil they change it into amino acids such as methionine, cysteine and taurine which can protect against radiation as well as chelate heavy metals for elimination from the body. MSM also regulates the fluid that covers the airway surface of the lungs, preventing an inflammatory response and helping to regulate the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide.

Fighting Radiation with Herbs

Siberian Ginseng – Soviet researchers have reported that eleuthero extract has radioprotective abilities, and can be used therapeutically in conditions of acute and chronic radiation and sicknesses such as hemorrhaging, severe anemia, dizziness, nausea, vomiting , and headaches due to x-rays.
Panax Ginseng – Hemorrhage was a symptom of humans exposed to atomic radiations in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.  Japanese research doctors found that “Panax ginseng prevented hemorrhaging tendency after x-irradiation.”  Bone marrow death is one result of radiation damage to blood-forming tissues.  It occurs ten to twenty days after exposure to high doses of radiation.  Panax ginseng extract prevents bone marrow death and accelerates normalization of red and white blood cell counts in animal studies.
Gingko Biloba – According to Science News Daily, extracts of its leaves contain antioxidant compounds including glycosides and terpenoids known as ginkgolides and bilobalides.  These compounds are thought to protect cells from damage by free radicals and other reactive oxidizing species found in the body. These are generated continuously by the body’s normal metabolism, and in excess in some diseases or after exposure to pollution or radiation. They damage proteins, DNA and other biomolecules and left unchecked can kill cells. Results suggest that ginko biloba extracts can neutralize the free-radicals and oxidizing agents produced in the cells by the radiation and so prevent them from undergoing apoptosis.
Black & Green Tea – The polyphenol epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) derived from green tea protects animals from whole-body radiation, blocking lipid oxidation and prolonging life span. Several sources indicate that there were hundreds who survived Hiroshima at ground zero and the one thing they all had in common was drinking 20 cups of green tea per day.
Astragalus – An article published in Cancer, a publication of the American Cancer Society, reported that the aqueous extract of Astragalus membranaceus restored the immune functions in 90 percent of cancer patients studied.
Milk Thistle & Liver Support – A report suggests that milk thistle may prevent radiation toxicity. It enhances liver regeneration after exposure to heavy metals, radiation, or toxic chemicals. It reduces DNA damage and extends survival in animals exposed to dangerous levels of radiation.  Silymarin’s free radical scavenging and direct antioxidant effects are credited with producing these results.

Fighting Radiation with Miscellaneous Substances

Distilled Water –  Dr. Kenneth Sutter recommends drinking lots of distilled water for radiation poisoning. A tiny pinch of good quality sea salt in several glasses of distilled water each day will provide one with all the minerals and trace elements they need to stay healthy.
N-acetylcysteine – A glutathione precursor. As a source of sulfhydryl groups, NAC stimulates glutathione (GSH) synthesis, enhances glutathione-S-transferase activity, promotes liver detoxification by inhibiting xenobiotic biotransformation, and is a powerful nucleophile capable of scavenging free radicals. Studies at the Louisville School of Medicine have shown that Glutathione possesses a unique ability to slow the aging process. While Glutathione aids in the protection of all cells and membranes, a study at Harvard Medical School found that glutathione is especially able to enhance immune system cells, protecting against damage from radiation and helping to reduce the side effects of chemotherapy, x-rays, and alcohol. As a detoxifier of metals and drugs, glutathione also aids in the treatment of blood and liver disorders.
SSKI – Super Saturated Potassium Iodide. Protects ONLY the thyroid from radioactive idoine.  If it is radioactive cessium that is being released, potassium iodide will not be effective for the areas where cessium will accumulate – mainly the reproductive system, kidneys and liver. (see potassium recommendations above)   FDA – “It is also notable that the thyroid radiation exposures after Chernobyl were virtually all internal, from radioiodines. Despite some degree of uncertainty in the doses received, it is reasonable to conclude that the contribution of external radiation was negligible for most individuals. This distinguishes the Chernobyl exposures from those of the Marshall Islanders. Thus, the increase in thyroid cancer seen after Chernobyl is attributable to ingested or inhaled radioiodines. A comparable burden of excess thyroid cancers could conceivably accrue should U.S. populations be similarly exposed in the event of a nuclear accident. This potential hazard highlights the value of averting such risk by using KI as an adjunct to evacuation, sheltering, and control of contaminated foodstuffs.” This may reduce the risk of developing thyroid cancer in the future. Potassium iodide does not provide immediate protection from radiation damage, and does not have protective effects against other radiation exposure complications.
SSKI Dosage information:  Adults: dose = 130mg KI; Children between 3 and 18 years of age: dose = 65mg KI; (Children who are 150 pounds or over should take the adult dose regardless of age.); Infants and children between 1 month and 3 years of age: dose =32mg KI; This dose is for nursing and non-nursing infants/children Newborns from birth to 1 month of age: dose = 16mg KI This dose is for both nursing and non-nursing newborn infants. Take one dose every 24 hours until the danger is past.
Beta-1,3 Glucan:  Extracted from the cell walls of baker’s yeast it is a potent immune enhancer. It activates important macrophages and is also an anti oxidant.  Studies by the Army showed that glucan was a powerful protectant against a lethal dose of radiation.
Lecithin – 2-3 tbsp. a day, will help counteract harmful effects of radiation.
Papain –  In one particular study, 50 percent of rats that were given papain survived a normally lethal dose of radiation.
Thymus Extract – Animal studies demonstrate that thymus tissue extract can re-create immunity even after doses of radiation powerful enough to kill the all- important lymphoid tissue. The idea of thymus glandular feeding in cases of mild to extreme radiation exposure has been applied in numerous cases.
Charcoal – Has the ability to absorb and neutralize radioactive substances and some toxic materials.  Researchers report that 10 grams or 1 tablespoon of charcoal can absorb about 3 to 7 grams of materials.  German researcher found that charcoal air filters removed more than 70 percent of radioactive iodine from the air.   Taking finely powdered charcoal has been found to be one-and-a-half times as effective as the tablets.
Organic Germanium 132 – Should be used in gram amounts for effectiveness. According to one study, “Radioactive rays release electrons that destroy cells and blood corpuscles….Germanium floating near the blood corpuscles skillfully catches those released electrons and lets them move around its nucleus.”  In other studies mutagenesis of cells exposed to cesium-137 and gamma rays, was “remarkably reduced” without affecting cellular growth or survival.  It seemed to improve the fidelity of DNA replication.  Ge-132 protects cysteine, an amino acid with known protective value. Dose:  25 mg. to 100 mg. per day is often used in Japan.  It can be derived from onions, pearled barley, and watercress.

Other Recommendations

Natural Geiger Counter: There is a plant that is a natural Geiger counter. The spiderwort plant is so sensitive to changes in radiation levels (its petals change color upon exposure) that it’s often used as a natural radiation detector (dosimeter), just as they use canaries in mines as detectors of poisonous gas. Some people like knowing that they have an ongoing monitoring system for radiation in the environment, and this is just another tip available in “How to Neutralize the Harmful Effects of Radiation or Radioactive Exposure.”
Sea Salt & Baking Soda & Clay – Add one pound of good quality sea salt and 1 pound of baking soda to chlorine-free water. Soak for 20 minutes and then rinse with cool water. Adding one pound of betonite, or other safe clay, to the sea salt and baking soda will increase the removal of radiation. Some specialists who work with radioactive isotopes use this method to remove radiation from their body. For an abnormaly high level of radiation exposure one can use this method three times a week for one month.
Sodium Bicarbonate – Dr. Mark Sircus writes, “So useful and strong is Sodium Bicarbonate that at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, researcher Don York has used baking soda to clean soil contaminated with uranium. Sodium bicarbonate binds with uranium, separating it from the dirt; so far, York has removed as much as 92 percent of the uranium from contaminated soil samples…the United States Army recommends the use of bicarbonate to protect the kidneys from radiation damage…sodium thiosulfate can be added to baths and that instantly neutralizes any chlorine in the bath water while simultaneously providing sulfur for the vital sulfur pathways.” “Uranium is one of the only metals that get significant bonding from carbonate. Just flushing a lot of bicarbonate through the system, along with whatever kidney support you are going to use, will be very helpful,” writes Dr. Chris Shade.
Probiotics – A 2007 study of 490 patients receiving radiation for various types of cancer found that those consuming probiotics throughout treatment were less likely to experience radiation-induced diarrhea.
Zeolite – Zeolites have been used to decontaminate animals, particularly sheep and reindeer, which have ingested radiation following nuclear disasters such as Chernobyl.  Addition of zeolites to contaminated soils has shown to reduce up-take of radionuclides by plants, and hence, reduce the spreading of contamination through the food chain. (Introduction to Zeolite Science and Practice by Herman van Bekkum). Do not take any product containing zeolite if you are taking any prescription medication containing heavy metals, such as lithium, or containing platinum, which can be found in some cancer medications or Radiotherapy with chemotherapy check with your practitioner.
More Info for Contemplation
People Died at 3 Mile Island
Radiation Monitoring Map for the USA
References
1. Steven R. Schechter, N.D., “Fighting Radiation and Chemical Pollutants with Foods, Herbs and Vitamins”, 1997.
2. Life Extension – www.lef.org
3.  Treatments for Nuclear Contamination by Mark Sircus

Source: Oasis Advanced Wellness

Radiation Exposure from Cardiac Imaging Procedures

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Annual exposure that exceeded background levels by >3 millisieverts was not uncommon among insured adults.

How does radiation exposure from typical use of medical imaging compare with background radiation or accepted occupational exposures? In this analysis, authors used administrative data from a large insurer to evaluate cardiac imaging use in almost one million adults (age, <65) and estimated the effective dose of radiation from such procedures.

From 2005 to 2007, 90,121 patients (9.5%) underwent at least one cardiac imaging procedure, with a mean cumulative effective dose of 16.4 millisieverts (range, 1.5–189.5 mSv). Most of the effective dose (74%) came from myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI). About half of all cardiac imaging procedures — and three quarters of MPIs and cardiac computed tomography scans — were performed in physicians’ offices. Effective radiation doses that exceeded the background level from natural sources by >3 mSv annually occurred in 92.3 per 1000 enrollees, and doses exceeding annual limits for occupational exposure (>20 mSv) occurred in 3.3 per 1000.

Comment: The questions, of course, are whether these imaging procedures were appropriate and whether risks from radiation exposure were offset by sufficient benefit. Editorialists point to ongoing efforts to minimize radiation exposure and contend that the estimates used here are too high. They also remind us that the morbidity and mortality associated with coronary heart disease can be mitigated by accurate diagnostic testing. However, as cumulative radiation doses become a bigger issue, alternative forms of testing that do not employ ionizing radiation will be needed and preferable.


Published in Journal Watch General Medicine August 5, 2010