Author Login

Correspondence to Author: hoajda Raci,Julialoletto and laviokrotti 

1. Hospital Pharmacy Unit, Padova University Hospital, Padua, Italy 2. Nuclear Medicine Unit, Department of Medicine (DIMED), Padova University Hospital, Padua, Italy 3. ARPAV Unità Organizzativa Agenti Fisici, Verona, Italy

INTRODUCTION

Overview of nuclear crises and potential outcomes An accident of the nuclear kind is one that can reveal a very fluctuating number of individuals to radiation and isotopes [1]. The detonation of a military nuclear bomb is the worstcase scenario. The primary risk associated with radioactive fallout is exposure to outside radiation, which is a highly complicated situation. Among the other potential causes of nuclear disasters are mishaps or acts of sabotage at nuclear power plants, such as the explosions in the reactors at Chernobyl (1986) and Fukushima (2011), which released significant amounts of radioactive materials into the atmosphere and had dire repercussions for the environment and the nearby population in particular [1, 3]. The most significant pathways of contamination were ingestion and external radiation from deposition on the ground, which were followed by inhalation and radiation from the “radioactive cloud” passing overhead. If I-131 was one of the radionuclides consumed Subsequently, the range of inhaled isotopes broadens, encompassing Ru-103, Te-132, I-131, Cs-134, Cs-136, Cs-137, Ba-140, Ru-106, and Ce-141 [4]. The potential exposure level of individuals is mostly determined by the urban conditions and environmental features of the affected area during the incident. For instance, national emergency management plans [5] might take the nuclear power plant’s location into account to determine potential outcomes: plants up to 200 kilometers away from the nation’s border (iodo-prophylaxis is possible, according to the plan [5, 6], people who reside more than 200 kilometers from the border (preventive measures, such as food restrictions and safeguarding livestock and agricultural products); and flora in non-European nations (no recommended preventive measures). The detonation of radiological dispersion devices (RDDs) containing isotopes, sometimes referred to as “dirty bombs,” can potentially result in nuclear emergencies [7]. Since fssion does not occur in this situation, the sorts of radioactive substances that can reach the environment or air and be inhaled are more restricted—likely just one. While the exact effects of a nuclear disaster like this are difficult to foresee, predictive analyses point to a relatively modest participant count and a low risk to public health from radioactive fallout [8].Despite the fact that many other isotopes can be utilized in RDDs, the possibilities can be logically reduced to the nine most accessible: cobalt-60 (60Co), cesium-137 (137Cs), californium-252 (252Cf), americium-241 (241Am), and cesium-137 (137Cs). strontium-90 (90Sr), polonium-210 (210Po), radium-226 (226Ra), iridium-192 (192Ir), and plutonium-238 (238Pu) [9]. An additional option to take into account is malicious nuclear pollution of the environment. The amount of time that passes between the radioactive material’s dispersal and the population’s contamination is crucial in this situation. One instance of this kind of situation occurred in the Goiania accident in Brazil during the 1980s, where two men took a source of cesium-137, which was sold in pieces, from an abandonedclinic.Whenthe victims’ signsof radiationexposure were not promptly identified, it resulted in their insufficient care and permitted the pollution to proliferate [10]. Last but not least, the polonium-210 poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko in November 2006 [11] raised concerns about the potential for direct contamination of food or drinking water. While there are naturally significant differences between the scenarios mentioned above, certain isotopic pollutants are more prevalent than others.

Citation:

Julialoletto. Radiation poisoning countermeasures that can be obtained minutes to hours following a nuclear accident, along with useful advice on potential urgent measures. The Journal of Nuclear Medicine 2024.