![]() The legacy of open-air nuclear weapons testing includes a small but significant increase in thyroid cancer, leukemia and certain solid tumors. Cancer investigators have been studying the health effects of radioactive fallout for decades, making radiation one of the best-understood agents of environmental injury. These tests injected radioactive material into the atmosphere, much of which became widely dispersed before being deposited as fallout. Between 19, the U.S., the U.S.S.R, the U.K., France and China carried out more than 500 atmospheric tests of nuclear weapons totaling the explosive equivalent of 440 megatons of TNT. Additional information is available in the Coping with Sheltering-in-Place Emergencies Checklist.Figure 1.Focus on positive actions you can take right away, such as taking an inventory of emergency supplies, obtaining accurate information and providing support to others.When sheltering in place for more than a few hours remember to eat, rest and take regularly prescribed medications. Try to recognize when you or those around you may need extra support. Know that others are also experiencing emotional reactions and may need your time and patience to put their feelings and thoughts in order.Pay attention to your emotional health while sheltering in place, remembering that many different feelings are common.Excessive or repeated exposure to media can increase feelings of stress, uncertainty and fear, especially in children.Take care to ensure that reports are from credible sources. Remain informed, if possible, by checking in with local news sources.You can take actions that will help protect emotional well-being during a shelter-in-place emergency. If you cannot shower, use a wipe or clean wet cloth to wipe your skin that was not covered by clothing.Gently blow your nose and wipe your eyelids and eyelashes with a clean wet cloth.Do not use conditioner in your hair because it will bind radioactive material to your hair, keeping it from rinsing out easily. Wash your hair with shampoo or soap and water.When possible, take a shower with lots of soap and water to help remove radioactive contamination.Place the bag as far away as possible from humans and animals so that the radiation it gives off does not affect others. If practical, place your contaminated clothing in a plastic bag and seal or tie the bag.Removing the outer layer of clothing can remove up to 90% of radioactive material. Remove your clothing to keep radioactive material from spreading.If you were outside during or after the blast, get clean as soon as possible to remove radioactive material that may have settled on your body.Take shelter as soon as you can, even if you are many miles from ground zero where the attack occurred - radioactive fallout can be carried by the winds for hundreds of miles.This can help reduce the amount of potentially harmful particles you breathe. If you must be outside and cannot get inside immediately, cover your mouth and nose with a mask, cloth, or towel.If the explosion is some distance away, it could take 30 seconds or more for the blast wave to hit. Lie flat on the ground and cover your head.Take cover behind anything that might offer protection. ![]()
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