Radiation Sickness Treatment Shows Promise

In an increasingly nuclear world it is becoming more and more important to be able to deal with the consequences of inevitable radiological accidents and disasters.  A combination of drugs has recently been shown in mice to enhance survival by targeting the bacteria that would otherwise flood the bloodstream from the gut after radiation exposure.  Normally the immune system would take care of such bacteria but the immune system with its white cells primarily originating in bone marrow is severely affected by radiation.  Researchers found that these two drugs significantly improved the survival of mice after radiation exposure:

The fluoroquinolone antibiotic, a mouse version of Cipro, aims to kill any bacteria it comes across. And the protein, called BPI, mops up and latches onto bacterial endotoxin, a nasty molecule on the coats of many bacteria.

See the report on this new development at Science News .  The original research was published in the Nov. 23 issue of  Science Translational Medicine.

The Latest Leak

Mystery Radiation Detected 'Across Europe'

Trace amounts of iodine-131, a type of radiation created during the operation of nuclear reactors or in the detonation of a nuclear weapon, were detected as early as three weeks ago by Austrian authorities and then two weeks ago by the Czech Republic's State Office for Nuclear Safety. Today the International Atomic Energy Agency released a statement revealing similar detections had been made "in other locations across Europe."

The IAEA said the current levels of iodine-131 are far too low to warrant a public health risk, but the agency still does not know the origin of the apparent leak and an official with the agency would not say where else it has been detected.

 AGAIN somebody has caused a release of radionuclides into the environment and is hoping nobody will notice, and they're not talking.  SAME STORY that happens with every nuclear accident.  Eventually they'll run it down though, or at least let's hope they do.

So far the IAEA's assertion that I-131 detected is "far too low to warrant a public health risk" really only means in the places they've detected it, because the point of origin is unknown.  SOMEWHERE there is almost certainly a hot spot or spots where people and animals are rapidly absorbing I-131 into their thyroid glands at dangerous levels. 

The map outlines Austria and the Czech Republic where the authorities are admitting the detection of elevated radiation.  Other locations are apparently being kept secret.  Why, they're not saying.

I-131 is a fission product that's most dangerous in fresh reactor core meltdowns because it has a short half life and great quantities can be released early in such accidents.  They are saying it's probably not Fukushima fallout because (as far as we know) there are no new meltdowns going on there, any I-131 released from Fukushima has effectively decayed to nothing by now, and because the reactors have been shut down they're not creating any more I-131 to leak out.  The absence of other radionuclides detected so far suggests that the source could be quite distant (since I-131 is more mobile than most of the other fission products) but it could also suggest a problem at a reprocessing plant like perhaps somebody accidentally cut up a still-hot reactor core with significant I-131 in it.  Whatever the source, expect it to eventually be found.  Will the perps be punished?  Maybe.  Will this be the straw that breaks the nuclear camel's back?  Maybe, hopefully, but probably not.  They always find an excuse for why each new accident was a one-time thing that can never happen again with the new regulations and safeguards they've put in place.  But eventually that lie will be seen for what it is.