Author Topic: Impatient old fart-radiation/iodine (Read 3001 times)

Bob F. · « **on:** December 10, 2006, 04:13:36 PM »

Did a search on THR regarding iodine as a treatment for radiation. Didn't find anything from the "old days", had lots of info a while back. Just took a class involving, among other things, radiation. Iodine tabs treat radiation exposure for the thyroid and could have prevented 1000's of case of thyroid cancer at Chernoble had it been given immediately. It won't help "crispy critters", but can be effective. Thought I had all the info on THR so didn't ask for particulars. Anybody help me?

Too impatient to read thru lots of threads with no info.............

Edited to recover from spell check!!

Thanks.
Bob

Ron · « **Reply #1 on:** December 10, 2006, 06:07:11 PM »

Don't know much about the particulars, here is a link to get some with an explanation of how it works.

http://www.frugalsquirrels.com/cgi-bin/miva?/merchant.mv+Screen=PROD&Store_Code=FSOS&Product_Code=FFPI8&Category_Code=SG

280plus · « **Reply #2 on:** December 11, 2006, 01:30:05 AM »

Quote

Only about 1-in-2,000,000 people are allergic to Iodine. If a rash appears you may be only "mildly" allergic and will have to make a decision as to which is worse--radiation or a rash.

Hmmmm, tough choice. Exactly WHERE would the rash be? laugh

mfree · « **Reply #3 on:** December 11, 2006, 04:50:28 AM »

It only prevents thryoid irradiation... the thyroid gland takes up iodine for it's own use and the radioactive isotopes of iodine are a very common occurrance in fission reactions, such as chernobyl and any given nuclear explosion.

So essentially what you do is take the non-radioactive potassium iodide tabs to saturate your body, and hence your thyroid, keeping it from taking up any of the radioactive iodine.

If I'm not mistaken though you're also going to give yourself a violent case of the trots.

Hutch · « **Reply #4 on:** December 11, 2006, 07:35:54 AM »

I'm not sure exactly what you're asking, but the answer can be found at www.ki4u.com without doubt.

MechAg94 · « **Reply #5 on:** December 11, 2006, 10:16:23 AM »

Anyone know why they stopped iodizing salt?

Guest · « **Reply #6 on:** December 11, 2006, 02:28:57 PM »

Still is, so far as I know.

Sergeant Bob · « **Reply #7 on:** December 11, 2006, 03:52:42 PM »

Quote from: mfree on December 11, 2006, 03:50:28 AM

It only prevents thryoid irradiation... the thyroid gland takes up iodine for it's own use and the radioactive isotopes of iodine are a very common occurrance in fission reactions, such as chernobyl and any given nuclear explosion.

So essentially what you do is take the non-radioactive potassium iodide tabs to saturate your body, and hence your thyroid, keeping it from taking up any of the radioactive iodine.

If I'm not mistaken though you're also going to give yourself a violent case of the trots.

Wow, cool. Good explanation.

Bob F. · « **Reply #8 on:** December 11, 2006, 04:26:45 PM »

Thanks,gang!! Great info. Knew about the thyroid deal, just wasn't sure of form of iodine (KI) or dosage(130mg daily x 10 days).

Bought iodized salt (Morton) last week, so Barbara's right, as usual.

KI4U was especially good site. Gonna check local drug store and Wal-mart, etc.

KGB says over 100 suitcase sized nukes missing from former Soviet Union. Care to guess where they probably are or who has 'em?? Not to mention various odds and ends!!!

Thanks again.
Bob

Antibubba · « **Reply #9 on:** December 11, 2006, 08:11:40 PM »

I can't remember the particulars, but another radioactive isotope is blocked by Prussian Blue. IANADr., so you best hunt that down before ingesting it shocked

.

Art Eatman · « **Reply #10 on:** December 12, 2006, 05:06:16 AM »

"Normal" dosage of iodine in one's diet prevents goiter. Since many people didn't/don't eat foods with iodine, Morton Salt Company began adding iodine. Goiter incidence declined thereafter.

Art

Jamisjockey · « **Reply #11 on:** December 12, 2006, 05:10:09 AM »

Quote from: Bob F. on December 11, 2006, 03:26:45 PM

KGB says over 100 suitcase sized nukes missing from former Soviet Union. Care to guess where they probably are or who has 'em?? Not to mention various odds and ends!!!

Thanks again.
Bob

Not to hijack your thread, but where'd you get that from?

Bob F. · « **Reply #12 on:** December 12, 2006, 01:32:59 PM »

JJ: To tell the truth not sure whether it was from a part of the regular program (gov't approved?) or a guest who presented his own slide show. Don't want to give names here for security reasons. No, I'm not "TOP SECRET" cleared, it's just assumed I'll use good judgement. While we're confessing, I'm also not sure if it was a former KGB Chief or former chief of Soviet internal security, equivalent to our FBI or British MI-6 (I think). Despite my uncertainty, I'm quite sure there's way more bad crap out there and way more bad characters, some "homegrown", than any of us really want to encounter.

Coincidentally, I need to review the written material since I want to copy some stuff to have close at hand for work. Should be able to find details there, will post. This was 3.5 days of pretty intense nightmares and I'm getting old.

Cheers!
Bob

mfree · « **Reply #13 on:** December 13, 2006, 01:16:09 PM »

Prussian blue == cesium and thallium sequestration. IAEA says 10 grams of pharm-grade prussian blue a day max, which is NOT NOT NOT the metalworking stuff because they use oxalic acid to help it dissolve.

You could probably help other heavy metals out of your system with EDTA or other chelating agents, at the risk of temporarily concentrating them in your kidneys and urinary tract. In those cases it may be better to simply let your body get rid of then naturally and have a small dose spread out, rather than a large dose sitting in your bladder.

280plus · « **Reply #14 on:** December 13, 2006, 02:48:18 PM »

Yes, but I've heard those suitcase bombs havd deteriorsted and lost the ability to go boom years ago. I gues you COULD make a dirty bomb out of them still. Where's our resident nuke expert, I haven't seen him in a while either.

MechAg94 · « **Reply #15 on:** December 14, 2006, 05:50:26 AM »

At the store the other day, all the name brand salt containers were without iodine. I had to get the store brand to get iodized salt. I was wondering if they were trending toward uniodized salt due to allergies or something.

Gewehr98 · « **Reply #16 on:** December 14, 2006, 10:26:14 AM »

Good laugh for the day.

Quote

KGB says over 100 suitcase sized nukes missing from former Soviet Union. Care to guess where they probably are or who has 'em?? Not to mention various odds and ends!!!

To paraphrase Mike Irwin, BWAAAAHHHHAAAAAAAHHHHAAAAAA!

Suitcase nukes are a misnomer. They may be manufactured to fit a small footprint, but everything else about them is large, including their mass and emissions signature. For example:

The W80 is the warhead used in the ACM and ALCM. (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W80)
Specs:

11.8 inches in diameter and 31.4 inches long
about 290 lb (132 kg)
variable yield 5-150 Kt

Older technology, smaller yield, high explosives would be a better approach:

The W54 was the Davy Crockett warhead, first produced in 1956. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davy_Crockett_%28nuclear_device%29)
Specs:
31 in. long, diameter of 11 in. at its widest
51 lb (23 kg)
variable yield of 10 or 20 tons

As somebody who just retired after a military career tracking and ferreting out nuclear weapons proliferators, I'm constantly amazed by how the injection of a term like "suitcase nuke" spreads fear and pandemonium into a populace. That alone has terrorist value, if I were Osama bin Laden I'd make damn sure that the phrase would get injected at opportune times into any propoganda stream I sent towards the West. Let the panic and fear-mongering take on a life of it's own, it would be my biggest bang for the buck, without even having the means to make a fission kaboom. cheesy

Bob F. · « **Reply #17 on:** December 16, 2006, 03:33:37 PM »

Gewehr98: Not sure about Suitcase nukes being a misnomer? W80 would fit suitcase size but too damned heavy for me to tote! W54 more manageable, size and weight wise with good enough yield. Given your background, i'd be REAL interested in what you have to say regarding all the other "missing" goodies, including our stuff.

Agree with your "propaganda" comment completely. Comment was made re: current e. cloi outbreak being "terrorist". They've not even claimed to be responsible, which is really all it would take to start a lot of fear re: our food supply!

Along the same lines, early on in the Russian spy case/murder, I think the media reported that polonium 210 (right?) was safe to handle and could even be brought through airports undetected. That point quickly died, not sure why. Interesting.

Thanks for the replies, still looking for my source.

Bob

mfree · « **Reply #18 on:** December 17, 2006, 07:02:56 AM »

"I think the media reported that polonium 210 (right?) was safe to handle and could even be brought through airports undetected. That point quickly died, not sure why. Interesting"

Because it's dead wrong. Polonium 210 has a bad habit of climbing out of it's containers while turning itself into extremely fine dust, is a virulent alpha emitter, and is more dense than lead. It is *not* safe to handle by any means... which is why there's a line of contamination all the way back to moscow.

Antibubba · « **Reply #19 on:** December 17, 2006, 05:15:35 PM »

Quote

Prussian blue == cesium and thallium sequestration. IAEA says 10 grams of pharm-grade prussian blue a day max, which is NOT NOT NOT the metalworking stuff because they use oxalic acid to help it dissolve.

Where does one get pharmacy-grade Prussian Blue, anyway?

----

Well, this partially answers my question. Interesting info here: http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/infopage/prussian_blue/Q&A.htm

News:

Author Topic: Impatient old fart-radiation/iodine (Read 3001 times)

Ron

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