Emergency fallout water filter

[worried mother]

punch holes in the bottom of a large bucket
put gravel in the bottom about 2 inches thick
cut a circle of thick towel to fit over the gravel
put soil over the towel
put a container underneath the bucket and pour the contaminated water through it

good for 40 quarts of water

filter and purify what comes throgh

[diamond lil]

What else does this filter out WM ? Could you use burn water treated like this for making tea with etc?

[worried mother]

What else does this filter out WM ? Could you use burn water treated like this for making tea with etc?

It just filters out one thing that is radioactive fallout, dirty bomb it is aimed at.
you would need to filter and purify for tea when it has come through

[Ian]

How did you test this? Will this filter out radioactive materials which dissolve in the water or only discrete particles?

If so this would be a useful addition.

Have you come across the 'Oxfam Bucket'

http://www.oxfam.org.uk/shop/content/et ... fault.html

a few in stock (or copies) would always be useful and easily converted to the above filter use. The bit I like is the smooth bottom so you may carry it on your head without that moulding sprue getting in the way.

[worried mother]

How did you test this? Will this filter out radioactive materials which dissolve in the water or only discrete particles?

If so this would be a useful addition.

Have you come across the 'Oxfam Bucket'

http://www.oxfam.org.uk/shop/content/et ... fault.html

a few in stock (or copies) would always be useful and easily converted to the above filter use. The bit I like is the smooth bottom so you may carry it on your head without that moulding sprue getting in the way.

Ian i obviously do not know for sure if it really does work, i was alerted to it in 2005 from an old FEMA site and it then appeared in various other sites i looked into, it is supposed to be a tested method to filter out fallout to a high degree aimed at in particular a dirty bomb, as you know if we were hit with a proper nuke there would not be much use trying, i did read a report it did well in chernobly with an over 80 % rate of accuracy, it is a lot better than nothing. It would probably save lives.


I have not come across the oxfam bucket no, i assume that is an overseas item ?

[Ian]

A 'dirty bomb' i.e. radioactive material dispersed by using conventional explosive, is remarkably local in effect, measured in yards rather than miles. Also by definition the dispersed material cannot be that radioactive because it is dispersed so skin/clothing contamination doses would be low. All of the Fire Brigades in the country are set up with decontamination equipment to start the decontamination of the public within a very short time, further reducing doses.

The terror effects would be disruption by requiring decontamination of the area by removing the radioactive material and any scattered particles which could take many weeks to do. So the main effect would be, say, shutting down Oxford Street or Waterloo Station for a month or two, not hundreds of people dying from radiation sickness.

The Oxfam buckets are available to anybody from the Oxfam shop at the link I gave.

[Carrot Cruncher]

It's like a lot of things, the panic will cause more problems than the actual problem itself (unless you are directly affected), it will be a similar thing with the fuel protests this weekend, if people start panic buying there will be a problem......I got my panic buying in early to avoid the rush

[worried mother]

A 'dirty bomb' i.e. radioactive material dispersed by using conventional explosive, is remarkably local in effect, measured in yards rather than miles. Also by definition the dispersed material cannot be that radioactive because it is dispersed so skin/clothing contamination doses would be low. All of the Fire Brigades in the country are set up with decontamination equipment to start the decontamination of the public within a very short time, further reducing doses.

The terror effects would be disruption by requiring decontamination of the area by removing the radioactive material and any scattered particles which could take many weeks to do. So the main effect would be, say, shutting down Oxford Street or Waterloo Station for a month or two, not hundreds of people dying from radiation sickness.

The Oxfam buckets are available to anybody from the Oxfam shop at the link I gave.

The fallout bucket was simply an idea from the FEMA site i got at the time, i also went into it seperately and the bucket idea was verified, i have a few of them in the outhouse, it really is a matter you can take or leave

[diamond lil]

All knowledge is good and the more we have the better I learn such a lot from people in here, is amazing.

[Ian]

Ah, now fallout is a horse of a different colour.

The soil filled leaky bucket arose in a publication by the University of Georgia, which also quotes the 1998 FEMA publication "Emergency Food and Water Supplies", as an expedient way of filtering water of fallout contaminated surface water and should be excellent at doing that in an emergency.

If you have more time and a little more money there are better ways. Standard water filters will remove radioactive particles as well as bacteria and parasites (within the specs of the individual filter of course. Some are better than others. some claim to remove viruses. Distillation will be more reliable but is much more expensive. As you say it really is a matter you can take or leave, horses for courses.

Both the bucket or filters will need careful disposal afterwards as they will be contaminated to a fairly high level and I would suggest your prepping should also include that, perhaps the same place you plan to dispose of your face mask, dust contaminated, air filters.