Knowledge of Nuclear Radiation Protection

Personal Radiation Protection Knowledge 1. How can the public respond to a nuclear and radiation emergency?　In the event of a nuclear and radiological emergency, the first thing the public must do is to obtain as much credible information as possible about the emergency and understand the decisions and notifications of governmental departments. Communication with the local government should be maintained through various means, and it is important not to believe rumors or gossip. The second thing to do is to quickly take the necessary protective measures to protect yourself. For example, you can choose the nearest building for concealment, and you should close doors and windows and turn off ventilation equipment. Evacuate in an organized and orderly manner according to the arrangements of the local government. When a radioactive dispersal event is judged to have occurred, remember not to run into the wind or with the wind, but try to hide to the side of the wind and quickly enter a building for shelter. Take respiratory protection, including covering the mouth and nose with a wet towel or piece of cloth to filter out radioactive particles. If radioactive contamination of body surfaces is suspected, use bathing and changing clothes to minimize radioactive contamination. Prevent ingestion of contaminated food or water.　In the event of a nuclear and radiological emergency, the public should pay special attention to maintaining a stable state of mind and should never be in a state of panic.　2. What are the protective measures in the early stages of a nuclear and radiation emergency?　Early stage refers to 1~2 days after the occurrence of a nuclear and radiation emergency. Protective measures that can be used for personnel include: concealment, respiratory protection, taking stabilized iodine, evacuation, and control of import/export pathways. Respiratory protection is the action of covering the nose with a dry or wet towel, which prevents or reduces inhalation of radionuclides. Taking stable iodine can prevent or reduce the deposition of radioactive iodine in the smoke plume in the thyroid gland after it enters the body.　3. What are the protective measures for the middle stage of a nuclear and radiological emergency?　At the mid-incident stage, a significant amount of radioactive material has been deposited on the ground. At this point, early protective measures can continue for individuals, except that discontinuing respiratory protection may be considered. In order to avoid excessive cumulative doses from prolonged stays, the competent authorities may take the form of controlled and planned relocation of the population from the contaminated area to the outside. Restrictions on the sale and consumption of locally produced or stored food and drinking water should also be considered. According to the characteristics of the irradiation pathway for personnel in this period, protective measures can also be taken: the use of stored feed in animal husbandry, decontamination of personnel's body surfaces, and treatment of the sick and wounded.　4. What are the protective measures for a nuclear and radiation emergency?　In the late stage of an accident (recovery period) the question is: if and when can society resume normal life? Or is there a need for further protective measures? At the late stage of an incident, the main exposure pathway is internal exposure due to ingestion of contaminated food and inhalation of resuspended material. Therefore, protective measures that can be taken include control of import and export access routes, avoidance of relocation, control of food and water, use of stored feed and decontamination of the area.　5. Under what circumstances should sheltering measures be taken and what should the public be aware of?　Sheltering is one of the main protective measures during the early and middle stages of an emergency where there is a relatively large release of radioactive material into the atmosphere. Most buildings can reduce the inhalation dose to people inside the building by about half.　After a period of sheltering and the passage of the plume, airborne radionuclide concentrations within the shelter will increase, and ventilation is necessary to reduce airborne radioactivity to levels equivalent to cleaner outdoor levels. Consequently, sheltering is less effective protection against a sustained release. The duration of concealment is generally considered to be no more than 2 days.　6. When are personal protective measures required and what should the public be aware of?　Some personal protective measures are required when the air is contaminated with radioactive material. Covering the mouth and nose with handkerchiefs, towels, cloths, etc. can reduce the dose due to inhalation of radioactive material by about 90%. Body surface protection can be provided by a variety of everyday clothing, including hats, bandanas, raincoats, gloves and boots.　Decontamination of personnel who have been or are suspected to have been contaminated by radioactive contamination of body surfaces is as simple as telling the personnel concerned to shower with water and to remove and store contaminated clothing, shoes, hats, etc., until there is time to monitor or treat them at a later date. It is important to prevent the spread of radioactive contamination to uncontaminated areas.　7. Under what circumstances should I take stabilized iodine?　After a nuclear and radiation emergency, it is possible for a person to ingest radioactive iodine and concentrate it in the thyroid gland, exposing this organ to a larger dose. Taking stable iodine at this time will reduce the absorption of radioactive iodine by the thyroid gland. If stable iodine is taken at the same time as radioactive iodine inhalation, 90% of the deposition of radioactive iodine in the thyroid gland can be blocked. Taking stabilized iodine within a few hours of inhaling radioactive iodine still reduces the amount of radioactive iodine absorbed by the thyroid by about half. The recommended dosage for adults is 100 mg of iodine, for pregnant women and children aged 3 to 12 years, 50 mg, and for children under 3 years, 25 mg.　8. What precautions should be taken when taking stabilized iodine?　For newborns within the first month of life, the amount of stabilized iodine taken should be kept to the lowest effective level. Stabilized iodine should be used with caution or not used in certain individuals, e.g., individuals with nodules in the thyroid gland, individuals with cured goiter, individuals who have received radioactive iodine therapy, individuals with chronic inflammatory diseases of the thyroid gland, individuals with unilateral resection of the thyroid gland, individuals with subclinical hypothyroidism, individuals with iodine allergy, and individuals with certain skin diseases (acne, eczema, psoriasis).　9. Can iodine tablets (KI) protect against radiation? How does it protect against radiation?　Physiologically, the main source of iodine in the human body is the uptake by the thyroid gland, which relies on iodine for the production of thyroid hormones. ki is a stabilized iodine, which saturates the iodine in the thyroid gland and thus prevents the uptake of radioactive iodine.　The Chernobyl experience has shown that radioactive iodine was a major factor in the impact of the Chernobyl accident, which resulted in over 5,000 cases of thyroid cancer in children, all of whom were between the ages of 0 and 18 years of age in the irradiated population. Therefore, the primary targets for KI distribution are young children and pregnant women.　Iodine tablets do not protect against radioactivity from outside the body and radioactivity absorbed by the body other than iodine. This is why iodothyroid blockade will be used in most settings in combination with other protective measures (e.g., staying concealed indoors, closing doors and windows, etc.).　In order to take full advantage of the iodine-stabilized thyroid blocking effect, iodine-stabilized tablets need to be taken before or as soon as possible after exposure. Even a few hours after the accident, the uptake of 50% iodine by the thyroid gland can still be blocked by taking them. To prevent inhalation of radioactive iodine isotopes, one tablet of stabilized iodine is usually sufficient to provide continuous protection for 24 hours and to provide adequate protection to the thyroid gland in the event of an incoming smoke cloud containing radioactive iodine isotopes.　10. Can eating iodized salt prevent radioactive iodine ingestion?　The iodine in iodized salt exists in the form of potassium iodate, which is converted into iodine ions in the human gastrointestinal tract and bloodstream to be absorbed and utilized by the thyroid gland, and the iodine content of iodized salt in China is stipulated to be 30 mg/kg. According to the per capita consumption of 10 grams of iodized salt per day, 0.3 mg of iodine can be obtained. The iodine content of iodized tablets is 100 mg per tablet, while the form of iodine present in iodized tablets is potassium iodide (KI). According to the calculation that each kilogram of iodized salt contains 30 mg of iodine, an adult needs to consume about 3 kilograms of iodized salt at one time in order to achieve the preventive effect, which is far beyond the limit of salt intake that human beings can bear. Therefore, prevention of radioactive iodine intake through consumption of iodized salt is not achievable.　11. Under what circumstances should food and drinking water be controlled?　Consumption or drinking of food and drinking water contaminated with radionuclides should be prohibited or restricted when the concentration of these radionuclides in such food and drinking water exceeds the levels specified in the national standards. The national standards categorize foods into two groups, those for general consumption and those for milk, baby food and drinking water; the concentration levels at which intervention is required are specified for each nuclide.　12. How should the public control their emotions and maintain a good state of mind during and after an emergency?　Emergencies involving nuclear and radiation are likely to cause fear. In this regard, the principle of prevention should be implemented in the first place. Victims who have been psychologically shocked can be relieved of their stress by means of methods that have a calming effect on the heart. Some of the affected persons may exhibit certain undesirable behaviors, others may show inhibition, withdrawal, passivity and negative characteristics, and there may be others who show signs of disorientation. These situations require that the psychologist must adopt a psychotherapeutic approach that is tailored to the specific situation of the patient. The patient's family and those involved should promptly arrange for psychotherapy for those with these manifestations.