[Arktwo] Understanding Radiation - Two

[Bruce Beach]

This is Part Two
of a three part series 
on understanding radiation.

In part one 
we discussed how nuclear radiation 
is a part of the electromagnetic spectrum -
and a part of the invisible waves 
like radio waves 
which is why we call its activity 
radioactivity.

In this presentation 
we are trying to avoid many technical terms 
and concepts - 
about the nature of atoms 
and how radiation is created. 
All that is superfluous 
to knowing how to survive it. 
Those who would require one to learn that 
are sort of like a swimming coach 
that would require you to learn 
the chemistry of water 
before teaching you how to swim.

In part-one we compared 
the types of radiation 
to the light that one would get 
from sources like light bulbs, 
comparing short-term radiation to a flash bulb 
and the long-term radiation even to florescent paint. 

In this second part -
and later in the third part -
of this three part series - 
I will further discuss 
medium-term gamma radiation 
and how to protect oneself from it.

The medium-term gamma radiation 
that we get from fallout 
is our major concern 
and the main reason for this series 
because while most people will never see or hear 
a bomb explode
they can still be subjected to fallout 
although they are hundreds of miles away.

This medium-term radiation may have a half-life 
of hours, days, weeks, or months,
and in two particular cases - 
of about 30 years.

This type of radiation 
(except for the two particular cases 
which will be found in food grown years afterwards)
will dissipate -
and mostly burn itself out - 
in about two weeks time
like our analogy 
to a really cheap ordinary reading light bulb. 

That is why it is recommended 
that one be prepared to shelter 
for about three weeks. 
That is - two weeks after the last bomb 
is anticipated to have fallen. 
I will talk about the two exceptional cases 
in part three.

But first -
Medium term radiation 
comes in three forms:

	Alpha particles
	Beta particles and 
	Gamma radiation. 

I will discuss those in order. 

Alpha particles are VERY weak 
and many radiation detectors 
won't detect them.

Something as thin as the cellophane wrapping 
on a package of cigarettes will stop them. 
They won't go through your clothes 
and if you change to uncontaminated clothes - 
you get rid of most of them.

Nevertheless, Alpha particles 
can be quite dangerous 
because if you breath in the particles, 
or you drink or eat them - 
they may get right adjacent 
to body cells and burn them.

Generally, you won't get many alpha particles -
if you have fallout protection - 
and follow basic decontamination procedures 
for anyone coming into your shelter.

Beta particles are not much more powerful 
than the Alpha ones
and while they are somewhat less dangerous internally -
usually the cardboard in the cigarette package 
will stop them,
or at least no more than an inch of cardboard. 

Beta particles are dealt with internally 
in much the same way as Alpha particles  
and once again a fallout shelter 
and normal decontamination procedures 
will provide you the protection that you need 
in the short-run.

Strictly speaking, 
Alpha and Beta particles are not part 
of the electromagnetic spectrum - 
but they do emit ionizing radiation.
Over the past years 
I have had a number of critics  
who put greater emphasis upon 
their concern about the inhalation 
of alpha and beta emitters - 
and decades ago 
I also put emphasis upon having 
one micron air filters 
for this reason. 

Cresson Kearny eventually came 
to the conclusion 
that this should not be a primary concern 
and I have followed that philosophy. 
Such filters should be way down the list of priorities 
after having a fallout shelter 
and making many other preps. 

I had such filters in the past - 
but no longer bother with them myself - 
and there are few in North America 
that have a better equipped shelter  
than myself.

Gamma Radiation is the big killer. 
It is like the reading light bulb -
that will burn you seriously 
if you grab it and try to hold on to it.
It is why fallout is so dangerous. 
The fallout can travel hundreds, 
even thousands of miles, 
from the blast -
in the couple of weeks after the blast. 

While a couple of weeks after the blast - 
most of the gamma radiation - 
for our purposes here - 
will have disappeared - 
it is during that period 
that it is most dangerous. 

When there is a nuclear explosion 
teeny tiny parts of the radioactive material 
created by the bomb 
connects itself to the dust 
that is blown up by the bomb. 
These billions and billions of bits of dust 
create what we see 
as the mushroom cloud 
that goes high up into the stratosphere 
and is blown by the wind 
out over the countryside. 
The dust then falls out of the cloud 
and that is why we call it fallout. 

One little speck of that dust 
is insignificant. 
Even a thousand specks amount to nothing. 
But there are trillions of specks,
and each one gives off a tiny, tiny, tiny 
amount of energy - like a teeny tiny light bulb.

As example -
picture yourself in a large domed stadium - 
with tens of thousands of people. 
Suddenly - every light in the place goes off 
and you are in total darkness. 
But one person gets an idea 
and takes the cigarette lighter out of their pocket 
and flicks their Bic.

Well - 
everyone in the place can see 
that one little light - 
although it may not do them much good - 
but then everyone thinks - 
that is a grand idea 
and all those tens of thousands of people 
take a Bic out of their pocket 
and flick it - 
and suddenly the stadium is as bright as day.

This is the same distinction 
between the few insignificant 
little pieces of fallout 
(even though thousands) 
that float through the air 
inside a fallout shelter 
and the billions and billions 
lying on the ground 
outside the shelter 
giving off their invisible light 
of radioactivity.  

The few inside the shelter 
are really not going to hurt you - 
and that is why generally 
you do not need to worry 
about filtering the air 
that comes into a shelter.

Enough fallout outside - 
although not visible - 
will burn you even worse 
than intense sunlight. 
Because the radiation energy  
is not stopped by the skin 
like sunlight - 
it even burns you inside - 
sort of like a microwave oven 
that cooks right down through the middle of food.

It is this fact that gamma rays penetrate 
that creates the problem. 
Sunlight penetrates 
(passes through) 
material also -
but not so greatly.

If you hold up a sheet of bond paper 
to the light 
you can see the light through it. 
Maybe through even three, five or more sheets -
but if you hold up 500 sheets - a ream - 
you will no longer see the light. 

The same thing is true with nuclear radiation. 
However to stop it - 
you  usually need more than 500 sheets of paper -
although the paper would do just fine -
if you had enough of it. 

Ideally, you need the equivalent 
of three feet of earth.
Two feet of concrete is about that equivalent. 
So is six inches of lead. 
There is nothing magical about lead - 
it is just more dense. 
That is to say that a square foot of lead 
weighs the same as six square feet of dirt. 
Lead is expensive to buy - 
so that is why we use dirt instead.

Using paper wasn't that bad an idea -
but it would take about six feet of it 
to do the job
that three feet of earth will do.

Just as with using sheets of paper 
to stop light -
the more sheets of paper you use -
the dimmer the light gets - 
so also with using other material 
to stop radiation - 
the more of it you use 
the more radiation you will stop. 

Even if you cannot reach the ideal 
of the equivalent of three feet of earth - 
still you will stop some amounts of radiation 
with less shielding - 
no matter what you use. 

If you happen to be in a area 
with sufficiently less radiation 
then considerably less shielding may be adequate. 
Even just staying in one's home - 
may do the job -
or creating a more dense shelter 
in one part of the home 
by putting up materials around it 
to create a radiation barrier.

Going up to the seventh floor 
of a fourteen story building - 
so that one is seven stories 
above the fallout in the street 
and has seven stories above them 
to protect them from the fallout on the roof -
would be another defense. 

Going out on deep water with a boat - 
where the fallout would settle 
down to the bottom of water 
would be another approach 
but most all such expedient approaches 
may prove inadequate 
if the level of radiation is sufficiently high. 

Using underground garages and malls,
going down into storm sewers - 
are all expedient approaches - 
and one might do well to study ahead of time -
just what is available around them.

The concluding part 
of this three part series - 
will further discuss radiation 
and how to build a shelter 
and what else one may do 
to protect oneself from it.

Peace and love,
Bruce 
DawnSayer@webpal.org