What happens when a nuclear plant explodes? .. Emergency procedures and health precautions

Since the start of the Russian war on Ukraine and Moscow's targeting of power stations and nuclear facilities, then declaring that the nuclear deterrent forces are on alert, questions have been raised about the dangers of nuclear radiation, and the impact of radioactive materials on health in the event of direct or indirect exposure to them, and for those in the vicinity of explosions What are the procedures they follow in a radiological emergency?

We searched for the most prominent questions raised in this aspect, and searched for their answers in accredited health centers, to provide an answer that does not exaggerate or underestimate the cases of nuclear radiation.

In case of exposure to large amounts of radiation, the person may develop skin burns and vomiting (pixels).

Nuclear Emergency Safety Manual

direct health effects

Although nuclear power plants are designed with protection systems to prevent radioactive materials from escaping into the environment in the event of any accident or explosion, some radioactive materials may leak and cause health risks to the population in the leakage area, but this depends on the dose or amount of radiation absorbed by the body, and the type of substance Radioactive materials, the manner in which the radioactive materials entered the body, and the duration of exposure of the body to the radioactive materials.

In the event of exposure to large amounts of radiation in a short period of time, a person may develop skin burns, nausea and vomiting in what is known as "acute radiation syndrome".

These symptoms may begin to appear within minutes or days, and you need specialized medical care to treat symptoms, as the patient needs treatments to relieve infections, burns and wounds, and keep the body hydrated.

But exposure to small amounts of radiation or over long periods of time may not show symptoms immediately, according to the Virginia Department of Health, and the risk of long-term health effects such as cancer remains.

Long-term health effects

For people who are exposed to high doses of radiation, the risk of developing cancer at a later age increases, depending on the percentage of radiation that entered their bodies, but the CDC reassures that the incidence of cancer as a result of exposure to a small percentage of radiation is as low as it is due Smoking or poor diet.

What is a safe place to hide?

For residents of the area around nuclear power plants or any areas where a nuclear explosion occurs, emergency centers advise them to stay indoors for at least 24 hours, until it is safe to leave buildings or emergency centers declare volatile radioactive materials low.

It is also advised to stay away from building walls and roofs, since radioactive materials usually spread around buildings from the outside, and health centers say that the walls of concrete buildings are sufficient to repel a lot of radiation. entry of radioactive materials.

It is recommended to stay away from building walls and roofs, since radioactive materials are usually spread around buildings from the outside (pixels).

As for people in their cars, it is advised that they close the car windows, the air conditioner and any ventilation holes as long as they find them to resort to closed buildings, and in the case of resorting to buildings or evacuating, it is necessary to reduce the chances of exposure to the open air in general.

In general, the greatest danger is for people who live within 16 kilometers of a nuclear plant or nuclear explosion, and it is recommended that they get potassium iodide to protect them from the radioactive iodine isotope, and know the numbers of emergency departments in the area to pay attention to the warnings, as the person cannot smell, touch or sense Or tasting radiation, defined only by special devices.

What about pregnant women and children?

Pregnant women should strictly apply the procedures for hiding and evacuating and then obtain specialized medical care, especially since fetuses in the process of development are more vulnerable to the dangers of radiation. and avoid breast-feeding their children.

The same applies to children, because they have rapidly dividing cells and tissues that are still developing, which may give more chances for cancers to develop, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised.

Pregnant women and children must strictly apply the hiding and evacuation procedures and then obtain specialized medical care (pixels).

How to clean up contamination with radioactive materials?

Since radioactive materials fall from the air like dust, removing the outer layer of clothing can help remove a large proportion of it, so it is recommended to take off the dressing and wash well, but it is necessary to cover wounds and burns to prevent any radioactive materials from entering the wound.

Does the mask protect?

A mask may protect or cover breathing paths with a clean piece of clothing if a person is outside during a radiological emergency, as it reduces the amount of radioactive materials that enter the body through breathing.

Is food and water safe?

Knowing that food and water in radiological emergency areas are safe is the responsibility of the responsible authorities that measure the percentage of contamination, and until the answer is known, canned foods, bottled water or foods kept in drawers, refrigerator and cooler can be a good alternative to fresh foods or tap water, according to disease control and prevention. .

Canned foods are a semi-safe alternative in natural disasters, wars and explosions (pixels)

Why is iodine used?

Iodine, stable iodine, non-radioactive iodine or potassium iodide (KI) is an important chemical for the body to produce thyroid hormones and prevents the entry of radioactive iodine produced after nuclear radiation into it, and since most of the stable iodine in our bodies comes from the food we eat or medications and supplements, A person in an environment of unstable iodine or radioactive iodine needs to take stable iodine or potassium iodide.

In fact, the thyroid gland does not distinguish between stable and radioactive iodine and absorbs both, and if it absorbs a sufficient amount of stable iodine and fills it, there is no space for absorption of more iodine. This is based on how quickly stable iodine is absorbed into the blood, the time between radioactive iodine contamination and stable iodine intake, and the amount of radioactive iodine to which a person is exposed compared to the amount of stable iodine ingested.

A single dose of stable iodine may be enough to protect the thyroid gland for 24 hours, and taking more doses does not guarantee further protection, as well as it may not be suitable for people with iodine sensitivity, and most importantly, it only protects the thyroid gland from exposure to radioactive iodine, not All immediate effects of radiation.