3 ms·

This is the same fallacy that many people suffer from when they discuss irradiated meat. Much of the opposition is around the fear of radioactive food.

by vibrio 7y ago

dangerbird2 7y ago
Irradiated foods are bombarded with ionizing alpha and/or beta particles. This causes cell damage to organisms responsible to spoiling or contaminating the food (thus improving safety and shelf life), but does not cause any of the matter to become radioactive itself. In a nuclear accident, there is a chance that a victim becomes exposed to neutron or gamma radiation, both of which can induce arbitrary matter (including in a victim's body) to become radioactive. Whether or not their bodies actually became radioactive sources, it's pretty clear that the medical staff assumed that was the case, considering victims of ARS from the incident were burried in zinc coffins after their deaths.
raxxorrax 7y ago
Depends on the process. You wouldn't want to drink the cooling water of Fukushima now. I don't know what you are talking about with irradiated meat. I guess you mean it being disinfected with ionizing light or something? That would be profoundly different besides also having something to do with electromagnetic radiation. If you somehow ingest something radioactive, you yourself would become a source of alpha, beta or gamma-radiation. This is what happened in Chernobyl. Particles were exploded all over the place. If that is enough to have glowing kids is another question. But the fear isn't as irrational as claimed. Even if there might have been an overreaction. Or something classified as such as there actually were quite a few cases that suffered from the incident. It just seems not as bad as repercussion became gradually visible.
- AstralStorm 7y ago
  The cooling water from Fukushima reactor would be no worse than "radon water" from some sanatoriums. Not too bad. Except it has fluorine contamination. Chemistry and not physics is why you shouldn't drink it.
  - raxxorrax 7y ago
    Depends on where you swim. Water does indeed absorb radiation quite effectively withing a few meters. Radon water sounds like the modern equivalent to leeches

This is the same fallacy that many people suffer from when they discuss irradiated meat. Much of the opposition is around the fear of radioactive food.

by vibrio 7y ago

This is the same fallacy that many people suffer from when they discuss irradiated meat. Much of the opposition is around the fear of radioactive food.

dangerbird2 7y ago

Irradiated foods are bombarded with ionizing alpha and/or beta particles. This causes cell damage to organisms responsible to spoiling or contaminating the food (thus improving safety and shelf life), but does not cause any of the matter to become radioactive itself. In a nuclear accident, there is a chance that a victim becomes exposed to neutron or gamma radiation, both of which can induce arbitrary matter (including in a victim's body) to become radioactive. Whether or not their bodies actually became radioactive sources, it's pretty clear that the medical staff assumed that was the case, considering victims of ARS from the incident were burried in zinc coffins after their deaths.

raxxorrax 7y ago

Depends on the process. You wouldn't want to drink the cooling water of Fukushima now. I don't know what you are talking about with irradiated meat. I guess you mean it being disinfected with ionizing light or something? That would be profoundly different besides also having something to do with electromagnetic radiation. If you somehow ingest something radioactive, you yourself would become a source of alpha, beta or gamma-radiation. This is what happened in Chernobyl. Particles were exploded all over the place. If that is enough to have glowing kids is another question. But the fear isn't as irrational as claimed. Even if there might have been an overreaction. Or something classified as such as there actually were quite a few cases that suffered from the incident. It just seems not as bad as repercussion became gradually visible.

AstralStorm 7y ago
The cooling water from Fukushima reactor would be no worse than "radon water" from some sanatoriums. Not too bad. Except it has fluorine contamination. Chemistry and not physics is why you shouldn't drink it.
- raxxorrax 7y ago
  Depends on where you swim. Water does indeed absorb radiation quite effectively withing a few meters. Radon water sounds like the modern equivalent to leeches