Radioactive contamination (radiological contamination), is the deposition of, or presence of radioactive substances on surfaces or within solids, liquids or gases (including the human body), where their presence is unintended or undesirable.

 

Contamination can happen when radioactive particles are released into our environment from; for example, a nuclear weapon discharge or a nuclear reactor containment breach. Everything in the vicinity of a breach can be contaminated, the air, the soil, plants, animals, and people.

 

Cleaning up the contamination can be a tremendous challenge. Cleaning results in radioactive waste unless the material can be returned to commercial use by reprocessing. Sometimes the best we can do to mitigate the spread of the contamination to the environment is to bury or cover the contaminated substances with concrete, soil, or rock.

 

If you or I become contaminated by ingestion or injury we may become permanently contaminated.

 

Some of the largest areas today to be committed to be decontaminated are located in Fukushima Prefecture as a result of the recent Fukushima nuclear accident in March of 2011. Over 110,000 people have been displaced as the Japanese government attempts to find effective ways to strip the soil and environment of radioactivity.

There have been many reports of military and civilians experiencing radiation sickness. An article by the New York Post describes how many Navy sailors deployed to Japan on a humanitarian mission are experiencing radiation sickness. Their ship, the USS Ronald Reagan, was caught in a sudden snow storm caused by the freezing Pacific air mixed with a plume of radioactive steam from a shattered nuclear reactor.

“Radioactivity was leaking at a rate of 400 tons a day into the North Pacific, according to the lawsuit and Japanese officials.”

“The toxic seawater was sucked into the ship’s desalinization system, flowing out of its faucets and showers — still radioactive — and into the crew member’s bodies.”

“We’re seeing leukemia, testicular cancer and unremitting gynecological bleeding requiring transfusions and other intervention,” said Garner, who is representing 51 crew members suing the Tokyo Electric Power Co., which operates the Fukushima Daiichi energy plant.”

You can read the full article here.

 

What can you do? Can Radioactive Materials be filtered from drinking water? 

 The answer is YES. An Ex-NASA water filtration specialist was tasked with the challenge of developing a water filter that could remove radiological contaminants from fresh water supplies. The project took nearly 2 years to complete and was a success. The result was the development of the R1 Radiological water filter. It is the only NELAC tested and approved filter for the 100% removal of Gross Beta Particles, Radon 222, Radium, Plutonium, Uranium, Strontium, Cesium 137, and Radioactive Iodine 131. 

 

The R1 Radiological water filter is compact, lightweight, & designed to be extremely travel friendly. It is an ideal addition to any emergency kit and can easily be kept in a purse or bag for anyone traveling in an area where they might be at risk. 

 

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Wikipedia contributors. Radioactive contamination [Internet]. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia; 2013 Dec 27, 14:53 UTC [cited 2014 Jan 3]. Available from: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Radioactive_contamination&oldid=587919788.