PDF copy of 2009 book

316Foods rich in K include potatoes, maize,beans, beets, raisins, dried apricots, tea, nuts,potatoes, lemons, and dried plums. Ca-richfoods include milk, eggs, legumes, horseradish,green onions, turnip, parsley, dill, and spinach.Green vegetables, apples, sunflower seeds,black chokeberries, and rye bread are rich inFe; and Rb is found in red grapes.3. A diet to protect against radioactivecontamination should include uncontaminatedfruits and vegetables, those rich in pectin, andthose with high-fiber complexes to promote therapid elimination of radionuclides.4. High intake of fluids including fruit drinkshelps promote excretion of contaminants inurine.5. Daily addition of antioxidants (vitamins A,C, E, and the trace elements Zn, Co, Cu, andSe) is recommended.6. Individuals exposed to radioactive contaminationshould consume special food additivessuch as Vitapect (see Chapter IV.13) andproducts made from apples, green algae (Spirulinae),fir-needles, etc.7. There are several simple cooking techniquesthat decrease radionuclides: boil foodsseveral times and discard the water, wash foodthoroughly, soak some foods and discard thewater, avoid the rinds of fruits and vegetables,salt and pickle some foods but throw away thepickling juice! Avoid eating strong bouillon, userendered butter, etc.Experiences from around the world after thecatastrophe show that citizens of countries thatdid not provide information and methods tocounter the effects of the radioactive falloutfared more poorly than those in countries thatdid provide such help. In 1986 the effectiveindividual dose to the “average” person in Bulgaria,where there was no emergency protectionwas 0.7 to 0.8 mSv, or about threefoldhigher than the dose for the “average” Norwegian.The Norwegian government placed aprohibition against eating leafy vegetables anddrinking fresh milk, destroyed contaminatedmeat, maintained cattle in stalls, deactivatedpastures and reservoirs, and mandated thatprior to slaughter the cattle be fed on clean forage,etc. This disparity in contamination dosesoccurred even though the level of contaminationin Bulgaria was measurably lower than thatin Norway (Energy, 2008).Since 1994, radiation exposure of individualsliving in the contaminated territories of Belarus,Ukraine, and Russia has continued to increaseowing to internal absorption of radionuclides—the most dangerous form of radiation exposuredespite natural radioactive decay.Migration of Chernobyl radionuclides intosoil root zones allows plants to absorb them,transport them to the surface, and incorporatethem into edible portions of the plant. Agriculturaland forest product radionuclides are introducedinto food chains, significantly increasingthe radiation danger for all who consume thosefoodstuffs. Today the most serious contaminatingagents are Cs-137 and Sr-90. In comingyears the situation will change and Am-241 willpresent a very serious problem (see Chapter Ifor details).For at least six to seven generations, vastterritories of Belarus, Russia, and Ukrainemust take special measures to control radiationexposure in agriculture, forestry, hunting,and fishing. So too must other countries withareas of high radioactive contamination, includingSweden, Norway, Switzerland, Austria,France, and Germany. This means, that localeconomies will require external grants-in-aidand donations to minimize the level of radionuclidesin all products because many areas simplydo not have the funds to monitor, teach,and mandate protection. Thus the problem ofcontamination is dynamic and requires constantmonitoring and control—for Cs-137 andSr-90 pollution at least 150 to 300 years intothe future. The contamination from the widerspectrum of radioisotopes is dynamic and willrequire constant monitoring and control essentiallyforever.