The
preparations for all these things are similar Last updated 04apr10
Notice Copyright 2005-2010
Ken Young (http://www.DinoDudes.com).
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provided on an "as is" basis with absolutely no warranty or guarantee.
The information is not necessarily correct, complete, or suitable for
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Be prepared - Know your NBCs
N
- Nuclear accidents & fallout B
- Biological agents & epidemics C
- Chemical spills & agents S
- Skunk stench removal (and poison oak neutralizer)
Nuclear accidents & fallout
(dust is bad)
Radiological accidents, reactor
meltdowns, terrorist "dirty" bombs, and nuclear weapons all generate
nuclear fallout. It is mixed with dust and drifts downwind. Beware of
rain, which brings down fallout.
Leave the affected area immediately.
Wear goggles and a respirator. Shower often, and wash your hands &
face before eating drinking, or touching food. Consume only bottled
water & canned food.
The single most dangerous component
of fallout is Iodine-131. Iodine pills protect you from it (and nothing
else). Most of the I-131 from the incident is gone in a month.
Always have some unopened
liquid soap on hand that can be used to shower and shampoo.
Own goggles that seal against
your face, one for everybody.
Own respirators, two for
everybody. A respirator is a dust mask with two strings.
Own an affordable air purifier.
Biological agents & epidemics
(germs are bad)
Epidemics and other biological agents
spread from person to person. You can breathe airborne germs, but the
most common way to be infected is to touch something contaminated and
then touch your face. Doorknobs and water faucets are notorious because
people touch them all day long and they are rarely sterilized.
While a virus is smaller than the
holes in cheap respirators, airborne diseases are often spread through
droplets from coughs & sneezes. Respirators protect against
aerosols. They also keep you from touching your mouth and nose.
Use alcohol to sterilize things that
get touched a lot, like handles, knobs, pulls, and switches. Sterilize
them frequently.
Wash your hands frequently, keep your
hands away from your face, and dont pick your nose. Limit exposure to
other people and wear a respirator when you cant. Run your air purifier
continuously.
Floodwater usually contains sewage
and it renders food, pots, and dishes unsafe. Wash thoroughly and then
disinfect for 15 minutes by bleach or boiling. If you touch something
that touched floodwater, and later eat before washing your hands, you
may get violently ill.
Always have a full bottle of
90% alcohol on hand to sterilize things. Soap works in a pinch. Bleach,
ammonia, or peroxide work as well as alcohol, but can corrode or
discolor things.
Own respirators, two for
everybody. A respirator is a dust mask with two strings.
Own an affordable air purifier.
Chemical accidents & agents
(air is bad)
Chemicals in powder, liquid, or gas
form can get into the air and cause havoc. Stay indoors or leave the
affected area immediately. Wear a respirator. Run your air purifier
continuously. Do not turn on anything that sucks air from outside. A
bathroom exhaust fan sucks air in to replace the air it blows out.
Some chemicals remain on surfaces.
Bleach decontaminates most chemicals, and peroxide is almost as good.
Physical removal with soapy water will do in a pinch (adding baking
soda to the soapy water helps).
Firefighting chemicals cover surfaces
and require decontamination. Peroxide is the best decontaminant for
this.
Shower as soon as you are out of the contaminated area.
Always have some unopened
bleach on hand to decontaminate things. Soapy water works in a pinch.
Own respirators, two for
everybody. A respirator is a dust mask with two strings.
Own an affordable air purifier.
Skunk stench removal (stink is
bad)
Tomato juice does not remove skunk
stench well (it is not acidic enough). Skunk stench is an oil, so is
attacked by acids and oxidizers. Bleach & peroxide are oxidizers.
If the stink is not on you, wear
gloves and protective clothing.
Put a quart of hydrogen
peroxide into a bucket.
Add a teaspoon or two of dish
soap and swish it around with a sponge until it dissolves.
Add a small box of baking soda
(which will foam like crazy).
Start sponging the stink off,
because the baking soda will only foam for a few minutes.
Allow it to soak in for 5
minutes before rinsing.
The dish soap lifts out the stench so
the other ingredients can get at it. The peroxide chemically attacks
and neutralizes the stench. The baking soda mops up whatever is left.
Bleach is almost as good as peroxide,
and vinegar is better than nothing. Both bleach and peroxide can
discolor things.
This mixture neutralizes poison oak
if applied before it soaks into the skin. The bad stuff in poison oak
is another oil.
Keep these ingredients outside, and
buy them before you need them. You will not want to go into your house
or car for them.
A bucket & sponge
Hydrogen peroxide
Baking soda (sodium
bicarbonate) in moisture-proof packaging
Dish soap
Remove lingering skunk stench from
your house or car with bowls of vinegar, pans of ground coffee, or
trays of baking soda.
Some liquid soaps contain an
ingredient that can liberate a little chlorine gas from bleach. If the
solution makes you cough, don't breathe it.
Wonderful bleach
Bleach sterilizes surfaces from
biological agents
Bleach decontaminates surfaces
from most chemicals
Dilute pure bleach 10:1 for a
milder bleach that still sterilizes and decontaminates.
Use 1/4 teaspoon of unscented
bleach to sterilize a gallon of drinking water. Mix & wait 30
minutes. Add 6 more drops & wait again if you can't smell the
bleach. The fragrance in some scented bleaches is poisonous.
Bleach can react with other
household cleaners, producing chlorine gas. They used it to kill people
in world war I. Do not store bleach in the same cabinet with other
chemicals or cleaners (other than laundry products).
Accidentally drinking bleach
happens. Don't panic. The symptoms of drinking too much straight bleach
are vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps, etc.
Ozone generators are bad
Ozone generators are effective air
fresheners. They can also cause health problems when used long-term.
Ozone ages rubber rapidly, so repair bills for everything you own can
bleed you white. Prefer an air purifier with a filter
rather than an ozone generator.
Your indoor NBCS supplies
An affordable air purifier with
spare filter
Two respirators for everyone (a
respirator is a dust mask with two strings)
Goggles that seal against your
face, one for everybody
Unscented bleach (always keep
an unopened jug around)
Alcohol (90% or better)
Iodine pills
Your outdoor NBCS supplies
A bucket (the rest of the stuff
fits in the bucket)
Two one-quart bottles of
hydrogen peroxide
Two small boxes of baking soda,
in waterproof packaging
A small bottle of dish soap
A sponge, in waterproof
packaging
Background information
BioChem agents are chemicals
produced by biological organisms. Examples include botulism toxin,
poison oak and skunk juice.