Radioactive Rain-Out: A Possible Threat for Boaters to Consider

I hate to have to post this information, but the times being what they are, I think it is my duty to warn you all and put out this alert for your consideration. It seems very likely based on a veritable flood of citizen reporting that there is some significant radiation reaching the United States from Japan due to the Fukushima reactor melt down. See what comes up on Youtube for "Radioactive Rain." Some estimates of the ongoing leaks put the levels at orders of magnitude worse than Chernobyl. Radioactive particulates from the Japan reactors are certainly all over the atmosphere of North America at this time, and many of these are "heavier" and take longer to decay. And this pertains to boaters how? Largely due to the fact that the most significant cause of ground contamination from high-altitude radioactive particulate fallout is RAIN. As such, we paddlers play in the most concentratedly contaminated arena: storm run-off. While it is unlikely that negative effects from exposure would be dramatic or immediate, there are potential long-term consequences for certain kinds of exposure. The worst effects from this kind of radiation exposure would be due to inhalation or ingestion. Please take this into consideration regarding paddling. There are ways of mitigating some of the danger (especially related to concentration in the thyroid of Iodine-131 by taking Potassium Iodide tablets) but avoidance of ingestion or inhalation of other heavier particulates that are likely "raining-out" now MAY be challenging while playboating.

I am not an expert on this stuff, but I don't want to get radiation-induced cancer. I don't want you to either. Please do your best to educate yourself and try to make responsible decisions. Here are some more websites to get you started on further info:

http://www.ki4u.com/illwind.htm

http://weeklyintercept.blogspot.com/2011/08/experts-fukushima-off-scale-lethal.html

http://blog.alexanderhiggins.com/2011/04/12/realtime-epa-radnet-japan-nuclear-radiation-monitoring-every-us-city-single-page-16511/

http://www.thesurvivalistblog.net/radiation-contamination-radiological-safety/

http://www.survivalblog.com/2011/03/letter_re_nuclear_incidents_in.html

Be safe out there.
Shalom

Jolyon Pruszinski

ps: hudson gorge is fun.

hudson gorge, photo from AW