I have blogged about the negative health effects of ionizing radiation in previous posts. Alpha particles are helium nuclei, beta particle are high energy electrons and gamma radiation consists of very high energy photons. All are generated by radioactive decay. Alpha and beta particles can be blocked easily and are generally most dangerous to the skin in the form of radiation burns and causing cancer in internal organs if ingested. Gamma radiation, on the other hand, can deeply penetrate into body tissue and damage internal organs was well as destroying critical bone marrow where blood cells are created.
Alpha and beta exposure can be blocked by hazmat suits with respirators. As long as the particles cannot touch the skin or be inhaled, the person wearing the suit is protected. Unfortunately, a lead lined suit that could protect the whole body against gamma radiation would weigh hundreds of pounds and could not be worn by most people. Up until now, something that would offer significant protect against gamma radiation and could be widely available to be worn by anyone has not existed.
Stemrad, an Israeli company, has just announced a new belt called the Stemrad 360 Gamma that protects against the worst damage caused by gamma radiation. The belt is partially made of lead and is intended to protect the pelvic area in case of nuclear emergency. The belt weighs about thirty three pounds and could be worn by most people if necessary.
Gamma radiation can cause severe damage to bone marrow and preventing damage to bone marrow is critical to ensuring survival of gamma exposure. Most of the renewable bone marrow is located in the pelvic area. The reproductive organs are also in the pelvic area. By protecting the pelvic area, the belt is able to increase the survivability of a person wearing the belt when exposed to gamma radiation. It is estimated that the belt can provide protection against up to one thousand rads of gamma radiation which could otherwise prove fatal. Although the new belt has not been tested on human beings exposed to gamma radiation, tests with dummies and radiation detectors indicate that it should offer some protection from gamma exposure.
During the Chernobyl emergency, the first responders and technicians who dealt with the disaster at close hand were expose to significant gamma radiation. Many underwent bone marrow transplants but still died early from the radiation damaged. There have been reports that workers cleaning up the Fukushima disaster are being exposed to dangerous levels of radiation. Experts have predicted that another major nuclear reactor accident is inevitable. If this new belt can perform as claimed, it should be rushed into production and distributed to all nuclear power plants in anticipation of the next major nuclear accident. Until we have powered exoskeletons that can allow a human being to wear a four hundred pound lead-lined suit, appliances such as this new belt are the best defense for those who may be exposed to high levels of gamma radiation.
