The accidental or hostile exposure of individuals to ionizing irradiation is of great public and military concern. Radiation sickness (acute radiation syndrome, or ARS) occurs when the body is exposed to a high dose of penetrating radiation within a short period of time. Systemic infection is one of the serious consequences of ARS. There is a direct relation between the magnitude of radiation exposure and the risk of developing infection. The risk of systemic infection is higher whenever there is a combined injury such as burn or trauma. Ionizing radiation enhances infection by allowing translocation of oral and gastrointestinal flora, and reducing the threshold of sepsis due to endogenous and exogenous microorganisms. The potential for concomitant accidental or terrorism-related exposure to bio-terrorism agents such as anthrax and radiation also exists.

This site is made of a home page that presents new developments and updates on the management of acute radiation syndrome including concomitant exposure to radiation and anthrax. Separate pages are dedicated to the treatment modalities.


Friday, April 6, 2012

Water containing radioactive substances leaked again from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant into the ocean


Water containing radioactive substances may have leaked into the ocean from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant on April 5, 2012. The leakage was at a pipeline carrying concentrated radioactive water from a desalination device to a storage tank. The leak was contained after 30 minutes when valves were closed.
Tokyo electric Power Company (TEPCO) estimates roughly 12 tons of contaminated water may have escaped into the ocean. High levels of cesium 134 and 137 were confirmed at the point of the leak roughly 300 yards from the ocean, but no detectable amounts of radioactive contamination have been found in the sea water.
The company will further investigate the possible spread of contamination and its potential impact in the ocean, including the existence of beta radiation that could contain harmful strontium, company spokesman Yoshikazu Nagai said.
The amount of water reportedly released was tiny compared with the amount Tepco dumped into the ocean during the early weeks of the accident. The Japanese government alarmed neighboring countries in April last year when it approved the discharge of 10,000 tons of low-level radioactive water from the plant as Tepco ran out of space to store the water used to cool reactors.
A leakage incident near the desalination facility similar to the occurring on April 5, 2012 one was also reported March 26. Such problems have cast doubts about the plant's stability long after the government declared in late December the reactors had been brought under control.


New Leak at Japan Reactor Threatens Ocean 

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