According to "Nuclear War Survival Skills" published by Oak Ridge National Lab. Potassium and iodine salts taken 1/2 hour to 1 day before EXPOSURE to the radioactive fallout will protect the thyroid from 99% of radioactive iodine exposure. (each Iodine dose is only an effective blocker for 1 day)

This is very informative. The modified guidelines for Iodine use after Chernobyl. The conclusions section at the end is worth a read.
http://www.fda.gov/cder/guidance/4825fnl.htm

The Iodide or Iodate needs only be taken until you are no longer exposed to the radioactive Iodine, in most cases 30 days from a single non continuing event, or until you move from the contaminated area which ever is sooner. If you are exposed to radiation for longer than that, the possible sidefects of the Iodide etc is the least of your worries. <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> Radioactive iodine damage is accumulative and so even if you take the iodide as you are exposed it will limit the damage to your thyroid. The FDA say it may still be protective if taken 3 to 4 hours after the fallout cloud passes over.

I think it is a very good precaution to have the iodide tablets in your kit, and remember that after a blast you are exposed to gama radiation immediately (if you are in line of sight) and then the fallout can come hours or days later, depending on how far you are from the blast site. Fallout is dust that has been made radioactive by the blast and is falling out of the air from where it has been blown or blasted, and so moves with the weather systems. Rain will cause it to be washed out of the sky to a great extent.

Also remember that if you are preparing for a nuclear strile of some kind, any sensitive electronic backup equipment should be stored inside a metal ammo box in a plastic or insulating container, or it may be damaged by any potential Electro Magnetic Pulse.


Good job on your BOB it looks like you have thought it out well.


Macgyver.

I would really question the use of the Oak Ridge documents- after all they with the CD gave us Duck-And-Cover and "Six feet for survival." *chuckle* They also suggested using the elderly as the first line of rebuilding in the case of a nuclear exchange, never mind the fact that are generally not the best rebuilders due to loss of bone and muscle mass. Put a gun to the head of the guy who came up with that and he'll probably admit it was a forced triage measure in disguise.

The Chernobyl documents are the best out there, but I also know there are a number of endocrinologists who question how long it takes for the protection to be fully effective, particularly when you have other radioisotopes in your system. That's part of why I asked about rain gear- it isn't perfect, but with a good pair of goggles and a mask, it will protect you from the worst of the alpha and beta particles while you head for shelter, but remember to decontaminate. Heck, that's part of why I always carry ear plugs with me!

Evaguation, shelter, and management of food and water supplies will help just as much as KI will, but in a systemic rather than specific manner.

My last word on the topic.

Quoting Doug

"
Reference Materials:
- survival reference book, including info on "survival psychology" and "keeping yourself out of survival situations"
- first aid reference book, or better, a wilderness extended first aid book (guidance that assumes you may be on your own for a number of days)

-- Great idea.

'Pots:
- every kit outside your pockets should have some metal container that you can boil water in
- a well-washed coffee tin is better than nothing, at least to melt snow or boil water, and it's free
- a big, tough, single-wall stainless steel cup is (I think) the minimum in each backpack or large fanny pack'


Teacher here -- agreed on both points -- pack reference books and containers* to boil water in. I've started adding a metal mug or pot to each of the bigger kits.

TRO

(* see BIG MUG post else where

Iron Raven, You make some good points. Many people think that the KI is protection from radiation and do not realise that the other things you mentioned are very important. I found it interesting that the chernobyl contamination was largely internal, ie. from eating contaminated foods and breathing contaminated particles. The FDA thought that was surprising also.

It may be debatable as to how long the KI takes to become effective, but according to the Chernobyl papers it did help to block damage to the thyroid anyway, so it is at least partially effective and I think perhaps much better than none at all. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> It is much more effective to not be there at all! <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I have a quantity of it, I beleive it is Lugols Formula, as a just in case thing. Naturally, I would be taking your advice and doing all the other things, and getting out of the area as quickly as possible.

As an emergency measure it is important I think for people who plan to use it to do the research, and also have the recommended dosage information with it as well as having a list of side effect symptoms that would be danger signs.

Macgyver.

Ingestion was a surprise that shouldn't have been. Along with iodine, milk and greens both concentrate strontium-90 and a couple of others. That they were tracing I-131 exposure to milk, and not so much Sr-90 was the surprise to me, because Sr-90 in milk is a text book issue due to the Sr's love of Ca. Standard precautions against exposure to fallout, along with decontamination and runoff containment, were not as well followed as they should have been. At least not according to what I've read.

Dan,

Welcome back!

Are you involved with the Boy Scouts? There is going to be a Webelos crossover in your park April 6th. Are you going to be there?

Thanks!