Radiation on the Move

Radioactive materials have a nasty habit – they like to travel.  This phenomenon has caused panic at various times in history after nuclear events and accidents, and continues to do so these days. The nuclear disaster at Chernobyl created clouds of radioactive dust that swept across great swaths of Eastern Europe. Because most of the radiation was leaked into the environment when explosions and resulting fires destroyed the plant, the particles carrying radioactive material were very small and were carried easily by weather patterns. With little warning and even less monitoring, thousands were exposed to unknown amounts of radiation.

As the cleanup of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Complex proceeds, we see a continuation of the same trend. Minute radioactive particles in steam and smoke rose into the atmosphere and were dispersed by wind and rain.  In addition, the proximity of the Fukushima plant to the ocean exacerbated contamination as an immense amount of contaminated ground water leaked into the sea. Although some of the more short-lived radioactive isotopes (such as I-131) soon faded, longer-lasting isotopes continue to cause problems as they travel and coalesce in unexpected areas. The contamination has posed such a problem in ecosystems near the plant that TEPCO began pouring concrete over 786,000 sq. ft. of seafloor near the accident site to encase radioactive materials¹.

A recent study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science shows another example of traveling radiation. Pacific bluefin tuna were discovered to have carried radiation from the Japanese coast to the shores of Monterrey, California in their annual migrations². This news is surprising because scientists expected radioactive material to be metabolized and shed by the fish much earlier in their vast migratory movements. The isotopes found were not at dangerous levels for consumption, but definitely identifiable as cesium-134 does not occur naturally in the Pacific Ocean and cesium-137 only occurs at minimal levels. 

Tuna caught off the coast of California are found to have traces of radiation originating in Japan. source

This discovery illustrates how easily radiation can spread even great distances, and is a signal that constant widespread monitoring needs to be part of the Fukushima contamination solution. As radiation continues to travel and settle, we need detectors capable of notifying the public of these trends. Only with increased detection capabilities and constant monitoring can we truly understand the travel patterns of radiation. 

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D-tect Systems is a supplier of advanced radiation and chemical detection equipment sold around the world. www.dtectsystems.com.

Defending from Within - Potassium Iodide

Radiation permeates the spaces in which we live and work.  It bounces off our skin, enters our bodies in food and drink, and even collects in our bones. Usually these ambient radiation levels are low enough to make little difference to our overall health. But in extreme cases of high radiation levels in the environment, steps must be taken to stop radiation from getting inside us. Interestingly enough, there some things we can take into our bodies that can protect ourselves from radiation.  

Potassium Iodide (KI) is a salt that has been used as a tool for radiation protection since the FDA approved it in 1982. The iodine in KI is stable (or nonradioactive) and is an important chemical needed by our bodies to produce hormones. Most of the iodine in our bodies collects in the thyroid, the site of specific hormone production. The danger with this concentration is that radioactive iodine (such as I-131) can be absorbed in place of stable iodine, leading to heightened concentrations of radiation and risk of thyroid cancer. Radioactive iodine is a common isotope given off during nuclear reactions.  Last year’s Japanese nuclear crisis released large amounts of I-131 into the environment. This prompted record-setting sales of KI that suppliers could not keep up with.

65 mg Potassium Iodide Tablets. source

Last month KI came into the international spotlight again when the US Defense Logistics Agency ordered 1,050,000 doses of the pill to bulk up its stockpile¹. The reason for the order is probably due in part to increased nuclear threats from North Korea and Iran. In any case, the solicitation prompted massive orders for potassium iodide from spooked civilians. 

Although KI is a useful tool for dealing with exposure emergencies, it isn’t a complete remedy. The compound only lessens health hazards from radioactive iodine, not other radioactive isotopes. Correct dosage is very important as well, as young children need far less KI than adults in emergency situations. For other details, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a great page on potassium iodide here.

Perhaps the biggest misunderstanding with potassium iodide is that it doesn’t keep radiation from entering the body, it only reduces the possibility of radioactive iodine being absorbed. That’s why other measures need to be in place to issue advance warnings about radiation threats. Radiation detectors such as the MiniRad-D and Rad-ID as currently used by military, public safety, and homeland security personnel to find and identify radioactive threats. 

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D-tect Systems is a supplier of advanced radiation and chemical detection equipment sold around the world. www.dtectsystems.com.

1: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/potassium-iodide-sales-surge-on-heels-of-large-government-order-147297175.html

Radioactive Contamination in Consumer Products

Early this year the home retail chain Bed Bath & Beyond recalled over 200 shipments of a brushed steel tissue box holder.  The stir caused by the recall inspired great headlines like this one from Gizmodo¹:

Time to decorate! I'll take this potpourri urn, these palm frond bookends, a nice neutral-colored bathmat, and WHY IS THIS TISSUE BOX EMITTING DANGEROUS RADIATION?!!

The recalled tissue box from Bed Bath & Beyond. source

In reality, radiation contamination in consumer products is no laughing matter, and this is no isolated case.  Contaminated consumer products have been traded between many countries, and a wide range of products have been identified. 

In 2009, Wal-Mart was fined almost $400,000 by the Nuclear Regulatory Committee for exit signs containing radioactive material².  500 sets of radioactive elevator buttons were found in France in 2008³. A few cheese graters turned up in Michigan containing cobalt-60, the same isotope found in the Bed Bath & Beyond’s tissue box holders. Even a batch of 1000 La-Z-Boy recliners was found to have radioactive metal brackets in 1998⁴.  Due to the common occurrence of radiation in consumer products, the US government even set up a Nuclear Material Events Database in 1990.  Since then over 20,000 cases of radiation releases have been documented⁵.

The additional radiation exposure to consumers of these products is generally low level but still a cause for concern.  The tissue boxes were estimated to expose consumers using bathrooms with the boxes to the equivalent of a few extra chest x-rays per year.  Unexpected radiation sources add up: chronic exposure of even low doses of radiation can lead to cataracts, cancer and birth defects, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. A 2005 study of more than 6,000 Taiwanese who lived in apartments built with radioactive reinforcing steel from 1983 to 2005 showed a statistically significant increase in leukemia and breast cancer ⁶.

The question remains: if we don’t carry a radiation detector with us every time we go shopping, how will we know which products to avoid?  The solution has to involve better detection along increasingly complex supply chains.  Most of the tainted metal introduced into consumer products comes from contaminated batches of scrap metal, sometimes containing radiation acquired in nuclear power activities.  As this metal travels is formed, shaped, and implemented in products, too few check points are involved to catch radiation.  Radiation detectors need to become part of the manufacturing process, not just a safeguard against large foreign radiation sources.  And due to the wide range of consumer products tainted by radioactive materials, detectors need to screen more products. 

With new guideless and increased detection during manufacturing and distribution, we can finally be confident that our next hot buy won’t really be hot.

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D-tect Systems is a supplier of advanced radiation and chemical detection equipment sold around the world. www.dtectsystems.com.

1.      http://gizmodo.com/5875898/bed-bath--beyond-caught-selling-radioactive-tissue-boxes

2.      http://pbadupws.nrc.gov/docs/ML0930/ML093050018.pdf

3.      http://articles.latimes.com/2008/nov/12/business/fi-radioactive12

4.      http://nmed.inl.gov/AnnualReports/NMEDFY10%20Annual.pdf

5.      http://public.shns.com/node/43582

6.      http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-03-19/nuclear-risks-at-bed-bath-and-beyond-show-hidden-danger-of-scrap

Healthy Radiation? The Benefits and Danger of Medical Isotopes

Out of all the man-made radiation we are exposed to every year, more than half comes from diagnostic x-rays.  Medical tests and treatments that make use of radiation have a huge range: from simple dental procedures to aggressive radiation therapy for cancer patients.  Physicians use x-rays in more than half of all medical diagnoses to determine the extent of disease or physical injury¹.  The kind of radiation that medical professionals use is generally strong at first, but has a short half-life (weakens quickly) and isn’t readily absorbed into the body.  This way the radiation is out of the patient before it has time to do much damage. 

Most medical isotopes are used for imaging, whether they are ingested, inhaled, or injected into the body.  These materials are easily picked up by x-ray machines and other types of detectors, allowing specialists to track the flow of fluids in the body. The most common isotope used for imaging is technetium-99m, which is used for nearly 80% of diagnostic imaging procedures².  Common isotopes for radiation therapy include yttrium-90 and iodine-131.

The vast majority of all concentrated radiation that a normal person runs across comes from medical sources.  In fact, we here at D-tect Systems recently ran across a mysterious source.  Even though medical isotopes are generally carefully controlled and disposed of, many landfills get quite a steady influx of medical radiation.  We recently received permission to take a few samples of a mysterious radiation source in the Trans-Jordan Landfill located at the south end of the Salt Lake Valley.  Like many landfills in the United States, the Trans-Jordan Landfill has a set of huge portal monitors for scanning all incoming loads for radiation.  We were told that loads of scrap metal almost invariably set off the detectors, as well as other materials.

The object of our inquiry was a strong radiation source in a black plastic bag that that landfill workers had located and were observing.  We brought in the D-tect Systems Rad-ID system (a handheld isotope identifier) to see if we could figure out what the mystery isotope was.  It was definitely a strong source – it set off the highest level on our MiniRad-D detector from several meters away.  After a few tests, we found it the source contained at least two medical isotopes: Barium-133 and Radium-226.  These isotopes are commonly used in conjunction in medical treatments.

So how can you make sure medical isotopes are worth the risk?  Talk to a doctor.  Health care personnel take radiation very seriously and use it on a case-by-case basis.  Before receiving x-rays or other types of medical treatments involving radiation, discuss the risks and benefits of the procedure and make sure it’s worth it to you. 

If you’d like more information on radiation in medicine, we invite you to visit World Nuclear Association’s page.  It contains lots of good basic information on radiation usage in medicine as well as technical details on different isotopes.

1) http://www.epa.gov/radiation/docs/402-k-07-006.pdf

2) http://ie.lbl.gov/toi/

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D-tect Systems is a supplier of advanced radiation and chemical detection equipment sold around the world. www.dtectsystems.com.