Each country, region, big cities, especially capitals may be characterized by their profoundly individual level of life safety. Unfortunately, Kyiv, and Ukraine as a whole, does not belong to the prosperous countries - a great deal of hazards directly threatens the health and lives of people.
In order to protect oneself from dangers one should be aware of the sources of their origin and their impact on people and the environment. Possible sources of hazardous situations on the territory of Kyiv are approximately 40 companies that produce or use highly toxic substances. Those are cold storage facilities, dairies, food factories, aqueducts and many others. They use ammonia – coolant for industrial refrigerators – and chlorine for water disinfection.
Ammonia is a colourless gas with the smell "ammonia liquid", slightly lighter than air. Dangerous concentration - 0.21 mg / l, a lethal - 7 mg / l of air. Under the influence of ammonia burns occur on skin, dry mixture of ammonia with air (4: 3) is able to explode.
Chlorine is a greenish-yellow gas with a sharp odour, it is 2.5 times heavier than air. It irritates respiratory system and causes pulmonary oedema. Dangerous concentration - 0.01 mg / l, a lethal - 0.1-0.2 mg / l of air.
Possible sources of chemical contamination of the NTUU "KPI" are the Dniprovskyi water supply (located 12 km north) which has a margin of 60 tons of chlorine; Desnyanskyi water supply (10 km northeast) has a margin of 60 tons of chlorine; Pharmaceutical plant "Farmak" (4 km north of the university) has a margin of dichloroethane - 100 tons and some other highly toxic substances in smaller quantities.
The most dangerous are the Dniprovskyi and Desnyanskyi aqueducts. If one of them has any problems with the outpouring of chlorine and wind is toward the KPI, in 1.5 hour a cloud of contaminated air will cover the campus and its harmful influence lasts 22 hours.
The main source of radiation hazard is not the overall level of radiation but radioactive particles of elements with large half-life period: those are strontium, uranium, cesium, etc. These particles long after the Chernobyl accident can remain in soil, water or food. They are difficult to control, but getting into the body, they "like" accumulating into the particularly important organs - liver, spleen, thyroid and others. They are usually identified when a particular organ has been seriously affected, and bringing them out is quite difficult.
The possible source of radiation contamination of the "KPI" is the Institute for Nuclear Research located 9 km northeast of the university. There is a nuclear reactor with capacity of 10 MW. If it has any problems with the release of radioactive substances and the wind is toward the university, then in two hours an expected radiation level on our territory is going to be P = 40 mR / hr. Predicted levels of radiation in 10 days - 1 mR / hr. By the way, the level of radiation in Kyiv after the Chernobyl accident reached 50-70 mcR / hr, now - 10 - 2 mcR / hr.
Conclusions: Along with possible accidents in Kyiv there is a risk of chemical or radioactive contamination of the NTUU "KPI" area; while the cloud with contaminated air is approaching, it allows to take measures and protect people; successful protection requires prompt notification of all people and their high organization. It is important to know the public alerts and actions according to such alerts.
V. D. Zahmatov, the head of life safety department, Dr. of Technical Sciences V. M. Prylepskyy, associate professor.
Alerts and people actions
"Attention all" is alerted by sirens and by alarm whistles of enterprises. You must immediately turn on the radio or TV on the local channel and listen to the message.
- Possible messages in peace time: an accident at radiation hazardous objects; an accident at chemically dangerous object; the possible earthquake; storm warning; flooding. The report states what has actually happened, what areas are endangered and how should citizens act.
- Possible messages of war time: air danger (is reported during a bomb threat or a missile strike); abolition of air danger (when air strikes did not happen); the threat of chemical contamination (when a chemical contamination expected or took place); the threat of radiation contamination (was a radioactive contamination expected or took place).
Actions of students under the threat of chemical contamination: Get gasmasks in the faculties and wear them; get out of the infected area to a place specified in the message. If you do not know where to go (or do not have a gasmask), then hide on the upper floors of buildings, seal windows and doors.
- Providing assistance in chlorine poisoning: put a gasmask on the victim and bring them outdoors; make them inhale ammonia, rinse eyes with 2% solution of soda.
- Providing assistance in ammonia poisoning: wash eyes with 2% boric acid solution, rinse the skin with clean water.
Actions of students under the threat of radiation contamination: after notification students should hide in the basements of buildings and wait for further instructions on evacuation. With the threat of war NTUU "KPI" has to be evacuated to Zhytomyr oblast.
Actions of students at the announcement of evacuation: gather the necessary things and at the appointed time students must gather at the trunk of the faculty; After registering people and forming columns a foot march is carried out in the district of Vasylkiv (30 ... 35 km), then they will be transferred within three days to Andrushivsk region of Zhytomyr oblast, where students will be later accommodated.
Protection of food and water from contamination
In areas of radioactive, chemical, bacteriological contamination food and water can also become contaminated and it is dangerous for humans.
Radioactive substances (RS) infect solid products on their surface and in the bulk products RS get into depth: sausages, cheese – up to 1 cm deep, flour - 1.5 cm, sugar - 2 cm, cereals - 4 cm. Fruit and vegetables are polluted superficially. In liquids RS are partially deposited and partially dissolve.
Solid foods can be eaten if they are washed well and peeled, but it is better to cook them properly. Boiling for 5 - 10 minutes peeled vegetables, meat, fish reduces the content of radionuclides in 30 -60%.
Highly toxic drip-liquid substances quickly penetrate porous products: macaroni products - 16 cm, sugar - 12 cm, flour - 4 cm, bread - 2 cm, fruit and vegetables - 2 cm. Liquid products get contaminated completely. Use of these products is very dangerous. For most germs food is nutritious environment. The causative agent of choler maintains in bread up to 26 days, in fruits and vegetables – up to 8 days, in milk – up to one month, even longer remains the agent of plague. Use of such products is dangerous.
Key measures to protect food and water: sealing the premises where products are stored; storing food in tightly closed containers; using protected water sources (groundwater).
Knowledge of public alerts and the order of operations during emergencies allows the public, particularly students not only to save their lives and health, but also to help others in need.