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Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Monday, April 11, 2011
Man To Make Fake Egg
Cases of problem foods and food poisoning are widely reported in Mainland China over the last few years. In 2001, there were 185 cases of food poisoning, affecting about 15,715 people and causing 146 deaths. The cases doubled in 2002. In 2003, the number of reported cases was ten times more than that in 2001, and the number of people suffered was as high as 29,660, including 262 deaths Now In Sept 2008 Nearly 53,000 Chinese children sick from contaminated milk; 4 have died
Manufacturing fake eggs
In China there are fake schools and classes that teach a variety of blatant fraud technology, even eggs can be modulated by chemical materials, but also be able to fry cook, is currently the most popular False course.
Step 1 modulation of raw materials
Using 7 kinds of chemical materials, see pic below
Fake egg was made from calcium carbonate, starch, resin, gelatin, alum and other chemical products.
Step 2 egg production
Raw egg into the mold to 2 / 3 full, put calcium chloride, colouring die, the egg appears on the film been announced.
The 'yolk' is shaped in the round mould. 'Magic water' containing calcium chloride is used.
By adding a yellow pigment and become raw egg yolk.
Step 3 fake egg shape
In the mold into 1 / 3 raw egg white, like the first package, like dumplings into the egg yolk, egg white into another, into the magic water, a shell eggs will come slowly. Naked egg shape to 1 hour to dry after washing with water, at shells ready.
To make the egg white, various ingredients, including a powder and alum, are mixed together.
Step 4
Sewing lines through the use of eggs, immersed in paraffin wax, calcium carbonate, such as modulation of the eggshell into a solution, repeated several times until the shell a little dry, immersion in cold water pumping line shape, this point, the egg has been put on a false cloak , You're done.
Hard shells are formed by soaking in paraffin wax onto the egg, which are then left to dry.
Oh yeah The Egg is ready. The artificial egg shell is very fragile and break easily but who cares!!
Look so real
Many small bubbles is formed during frying the egg but not many people can tell the difference. The egg look exactly the same, and the eggs taste better than real but you are adding to the statistic of food poisoning person.
Why make fake eggs ?
Because of money. [The cost of fake egg is only 0.55 Yuan/kg, while the true eggs’ market price is 5.6 Yuan/kg]
Manufacturing fake eggs
In China there are fake schools and classes that teach a variety of blatant fraud technology, even eggs can be modulated by chemical materials, but also be able to fry cook, is currently the most popular False course.
Step 1 modulation of raw materials
Using 7 kinds of chemical materials, see pic below
Fake egg was made from calcium carbonate, starch, resin, gelatin, alum and other chemical products.
Step 2 egg production
Raw egg into the mold to 2 / 3 full, put calcium chloride, colouring die, the egg appears on the film been announced.
The 'yolk' is shaped in the round mould. 'Magic water' containing calcium chloride is used.
By adding a yellow pigment and become raw egg yolk.
Step 3 fake egg shape
In the mold into 1 / 3 raw egg white, like the first package, like dumplings into the egg yolk, egg white into another, into the magic water, a shell eggs will come slowly. Naked egg shape to 1 hour to dry after washing with water, at shells ready.
To make the egg white, various ingredients, including a powder and alum, are mixed together.
Step 4
Sewing lines through the use of eggs, immersed in paraffin wax, calcium carbonate, such as modulation of the eggshell into a solution, repeated several times until the shell a little dry, immersion in cold water pumping line shape, this point, the egg has been put on a false cloak , You're done.
Hard shells are formed by soaking in paraffin wax onto the egg, which are then left to dry.
Oh yeah The Egg is ready. The artificial egg shell is very fragile and break easily but who cares!!
Look so real
Many small bubbles is formed during frying the egg but not many people can tell the difference. The egg look exactly the same, and the eggs taste better than real but you are adding to the statistic of food poisoning person.
Why make fake eggs ?
Because of money. [The cost of fake egg is only 0.55 Yuan/kg, while the true eggs’ market price is 5.6 Yuan/kg]
How To Make False Egg
Make a False Egg
From Wired How-To Wiki You have new messages (last change).
1 Keep Your Dinner Guests Guessing with a Soft-Boiled Mystery
2 False Egg Recipes
2.1 Brown Butter Hollandaise Sauce
2.2 Reheatable Hollandaise Sauce
2.3 Cauliflower Puree
2.4 False Egg
Keep Your Dinner Guests Guessing with a Soft-Boiled Mystery
Illustration by Robert HansonForget themed dinner parties. Wow your friends with a chemically goosed false egg. "I love the element of surprise," says chef Alexander Talbot, who created the recipe. "It looks just like a poached egg." The key is Methocel A4C and Methocel F50 — available online — which turn purees (here, cauliflower and hollandaise) into tasty gels that keep your guests guessing.
1 White: Puree 500 grams of cooked cauliflower. While it's still hot, stir in 5 grams of Methocel A4C. Refrigerate until cold.
2 Yolk: Prepare 400 grams of hollandaise sauce. Heat 100 grams of water to a simmer. Stir in 5 grams of Methocel F50, then blend the mixture into the sauce. Refrigerate in a squeeze bottle until cold.
3 Stretch plastic wrap over a small teacup and coat with a layer of white.
4 Squirt on a dollop of yolk.
5 Gently add another layer of white.
6 Gather the plastic wrap into a "purse" and tie with twine.
7 Drop into simmering water for about five minutes or until the packet feels firm. Snip off the plastic wrap to reveal a quivering surprise.
False Egg Recipesfunny quotes
Brown Butter Hollandaise Sauce 220g/8oz butter
35g/1.25 oz lemon juice
20g/0.7oz lime pickle
4g salt
104g/3.65oz/2 whole eggs
18g/0.63oz/1 egg yolk
Melt the butter in a small sauté pan and cook until the milk solids have turned golden brown. Remove the butter from the heat immediately and let cool slightly. Combine the remaining ingredients in a blender and puree. While the blender is running, slowly drizzle the hot brown butter into the mixture, creating a rich and creamy hollandaise sauce. It will be well seasoned because we will be diluting it by 25 percent to create the reheatable hollandaise.
Reheatable Hollandaise Sauce
370g/13oz hollandaise sauce
92.5g/3.25oz water
4.62g/0.16oz Methocel F50 (1 percent of the total weight of hollandaise and the water)
While the hollandaise sauce is still warm, bring the water to a boil. Sprinkle the Methocel over the water and whisk it into the water. When the Methocel is dispersed, turn the blender on low and slowly drizzle the water into the hollandaise sauce. Increase the speed of the blender and shear the mixture into the hollandaise sauce until it is fully incorporated and looks well blended with a slight sheen. Once the Methocel is fully dispersed, place the mixture in a bowl over an ice bath to chill. It should be chilled to 10°C/50°F and then rest in refrigeration for at least 20 minutes before using. The sauce will keep for up to two days in refrigeration.
Cauliflower Puree
420g/14.8oz cauliflower
225g/8oz milk
50g/1.75oz cream cheese
4g/0.14oz/2/3t salt
0.75% Methocel A4C
Cut the cauliflower into small pieces so that it can cook quickly. Combine the cauliflower, milk, and cream cheese in a pot and simmer until the cauliflower is soft and tender. When the cauliflower is tender put the entire mixture into a blender. Puree the mixture in a blender. Weigh the mixture in the blender (it helps to know what your blender top weighs so calculations may be made from the blender).
Weigh the hot puree and calculate 0.75 percent of the total weight. Weigh out that amount of Methocel A4C and shear it into the puree using a blender. In this recipe we end up with 450g/15.85oz of cauliflower puree and the amount of Methocel we calculated is 3.375g/0.12oz. Turn the blender onto low and increase the speed until a vortex forms in the puree. Sprinkle the Methocel into the vortex to evenly disperse it into the cauliflower puree. Be sure to puree it until the Methocel is completely dispersed and the mixture looks well blended with a slight sheen. Cool mixture to below 10°C/50°F. Let it rest in refrigeration for at least 20 minutes before using.
False Egg
Reheatable hollandaise sauce
Cauliflower puree
Cut eight squares of plastic wrap 15.25cm/6in square. Place a spoonful of cauliflower puree into the center of each piece of plastic wrap. Spread the mixture into a circle on the plastic so that it reaches to two-thirds of the edges and is 7.5mm/0.3in thick. Place a spoonful of hollandaise sauce the size of an egg yolk in the center of the cauliflower puree. Pull the edges of the plastic wrap up together pulling the cauliflower puree around the hollandaise sauce. Twist the plastic wrap so that the cauliflower encompasses the hollandaise sauce and the parcel looks like a beggars purse. Use a piece of twine to tie the plastic in place keeping the parcels shape secure. Place the tied false eggs in the freezer until ready to serve.
To heat, drop the false eggs into a water bath or a pot of water warmed to 52°C/125°F. Let the eggs cook for 10 minutes until the Methocel gels and they are heated through. The cauliflower will set and resemble the texture of an egg white while the hollandaise sauce will thicken and still be fluid.
From Wired How-To Wiki You have new messages (last change).
1 Keep Your Dinner Guests Guessing with a Soft-Boiled Mystery
2 False Egg Recipes
2.1 Brown Butter Hollandaise Sauce
2.2 Reheatable Hollandaise Sauce
2.3 Cauliflower Puree
2.4 False Egg
Keep Your Dinner Guests Guessing with a Soft-Boiled Mystery
Illustration by Robert HansonForget themed dinner parties. Wow your friends with a chemically goosed false egg. "I love the element of surprise," says chef Alexander Talbot, who created the recipe. "It looks just like a poached egg." The key is Methocel A4C and Methocel F50 — available online — which turn purees (here, cauliflower and hollandaise) into tasty gels that keep your guests guessing.
1 White: Puree 500 grams of cooked cauliflower. While it's still hot, stir in 5 grams of Methocel A4C. Refrigerate until cold.
2 Yolk: Prepare 400 grams of hollandaise sauce. Heat 100 grams of water to a simmer. Stir in 5 grams of Methocel F50, then blend the mixture into the sauce. Refrigerate in a squeeze bottle until cold.
3 Stretch plastic wrap over a small teacup and coat with a layer of white.
4 Squirt on a dollop of yolk.
5 Gently add another layer of white.
6 Gather the plastic wrap into a "purse" and tie with twine.
7 Drop into simmering water for about five minutes or until the packet feels firm. Snip off the plastic wrap to reveal a quivering surprise.
False Egg Recipesfunny quotes
Brown Butter Hollandaise Sauce 220g/8oz butter
35g/1.25 oz lemon juice
20g/0.7oz lime pickle
4g salt
104g/3.65oz/2 whole eggs
18g/0.63oz/1 egg yolk
Melt the butter in a small sauté pan and cook until the milk solids have turned golden brown. Remove the butter from the heat immediately and let cool slightly. Combine the remaining ingredients in a blender and puree. While the blender is running, slowly drizzle the hot brown butter into the mixture, creating a rich and creamy hollandaise sauce. It will be well seasoned because we will be diluting it by 25 percent to create the reheatable hollandaise.
Reheatable Hollandaise Sauce
370g/13oz hollandaise sauce
92.5g/3.25oz water
4.62g/0.16oz Methocel F50 (1 percent of the total weight of hollandaise and the water)
While the hollandaise sauce is still warm, bring the water to a boil. Sprinkle the Methocel over the water and whisk it into the water. When the Methocel is dispersed, turn the blender on low and slowly drizzle the water into the hollandaise sauce. Increase the speed of the blender and shear the mixture into the hollandaise sauce until it is fully incorporated and looks well blended with a slight sheen. Once the Methocel is fully dispersed, place the mixture in a bowl over an ice bath to chill. It should be chilled to 10°C/50°F and then rest in refrigeration for at least 20 minutes before using. The sauce will keep for up to two days in refrigeration.
Cauliflower Puree
420g/14.8oz cauliflower
225g/8oz milk
50g/1.75oz cream cheese
4g/0.14oz/2/3t salt
0.75% Methocel A4C
Cut the cauliflower into small pieces so that it can cook quickly. Combine the cauliflower, milk, and cream cheese in a pot and simmer until the cauliflower is soft and tender. When the cauliflower is tender put the entire mixture into a blender. Puree the mixture in a blender. Weigh the mixture in the blender (it helps to know what your blender top weighs so calculations may be made from the blender).
Weigh the hot puree and calculate 0.75 percent of the total weight. Weigh out that amount of Methocel A4C and shear it into the puree using a blender. In this recipe we end up with 450g/15.85oz of cauliflower puree and the amount of Methocel we calculated is 3.375g/0.12oz. Turn the blender onto low and increase the speed until a vortex forms in the puree. Sprinkle the Methocel into the vortex to evenly disperse it into the cauliflower puree. Be sure to puree it until the Methocel is completely dispersed and the mixture looks well blended with a slight sheen. Cool mixture to below 10°C/50°F. Let it rest in refrigeration for at least 20 minutes before using.
False Egg
Reheatable hollandaise sauce
Cauliflower puree
Cut eight squares of plastic wrap 15.25cm/6in square. Place a spoonful of cauliflower puree into the center of each piece of plastic wrap. Spread the mixture into a circle on the plastic so that it reaches to two-thirds of the edges and is 7.5mm/0.3in thick. Place a spoonful of hollandaise sauce the size of an egg yolk in the center of the cauliflower puree. Pull the edges of the plastic wrap up together pulling the cauliflower puree around the hollandaise sauce. Twist the plastic wrap so that the cauliflower encompasses the hollandaise sauce and the parcel looks like a beggars purse. Use a piece of twine to tie the plastic in place keeping the parcels shape secure. Place the tied false eggs in the freezer until ready to serve.
To heat, drop the false eggs into a water bath or a pot of water warmed to 52°C/125°F. Let the eggs cook for 10 minutes until the Methocel gels and they are heated through. The cauliflower will set and resemble the texture of an egg white while the hollandaise sauce will thicken and still be fluid.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Food safety issue MALAYSIA & INTERNATIONAL
Medicalnewstoday E. coli An Unlikely Contaminant Of Plant Vascular Systems A technique developed by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists for tracking pathogens has helped confirm that Escherichia coli is not likely to contaminate the internal vascular structure of field-grown leafy greens and thus increase the incidence of foodborne illness. Agricultural Research Service (ARS) microbiologist Manan Sharma wanted to find out if plant roots could draw in E. coli pathogens from the soil when taking in nutrients and water. He and colleagues modified several types of E. coli - including some highly pathogenic strains that cause foodborne illness - by adding a gene for fluorescence. This allowed them to track the pathogen's journey from the field to the produce Food regulation Medicalnewstoday
Calorie Labeling In Chain Restaurant Menus And Vending Machines, FDA Proposal In what is seen as a serious effort to tackle America's obesity epidemic, the FDA is proposing compulsory calorie labeling on the menus of chain restaurants, vending machines and some other food retail outlets. Members of the public, experts, associations and advocacy groups are invited to offer suggestions by visiting a specific web page. In a communiqué issued by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) yesterday, the proposal will include chain restaurants and other similar retail food outlets.The Agency would like customers to be able to view calories listed in restaurants and food retail outlets which form part of a chain consisting of at least 20 locations which trade under the same name and have substantially similar menus. Such outlets may include fast food restaurants, coffee shops, some grocery and convenience stores, and bakeries. Businesses whose main purpose of business is not food, but also sell food will not be included, such as airports, movie theatres, and sports centers (e.g. bowling alleys).The FDA is also inviting members of the public to make suggestions on anything that might improve the proposal, such as adding other types of food outlets which the current proposal may have missed out.Another proposed rule would include compulsory calorie information in food sold through vending machines. Comments are invited on both proposals.
Food research Foodproductiondaily Nano-biosensors to boost detection of foodborne pathogens- research A nano-based biosensor that could be used for early stage detection of foodborne pathogens such as E.coli and salmonella is under development by scientists in the US. Nano-based biosensor under development at Kansas State University. Researchers at Kansas State University are using carbon nanofibres (CNF) as part of the biosensors to detect the bacteria, an application which could have a huge take up in the state’s huge meat processing sector, they said. Jun Li, associate professor of chemistry, and doctoral student Lateef Syed, said they chose CNFs because they are able to form an array of tiny electrodes even smaller than bacteria and viruses. When these microbial particles are captured at the electrode surface, an electric signal can be detected. The associate professor said the technology could be brought to market in around two years.
Food regulation Foodqualitynews TB fraud prompts FSA reminder on raw milk rules The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has issued a reminder to local authorities and dairy businesses on the rules governing the sale of raw milk after some UK farmers were found to have been swapping ear tags that mark out cows infected with tuberculosis (TB).Evidence has emerged that some farmers in the South West of England and the Midlands have been illegally swapping ear tags to keep TB-positive animals in their herds and send less productive animals to slaughter.
New product development Foodnavigator Oil-hydrocolloid mix may cut trans fats without affecting quality: Study The hydrogenated fat content of bakery products may be reduced by replacing trans fats with sunflower or coconut oils, and still maintain characteristics similar to ‘full-fat’ products, says new research. Replacing hydrogenated fats with sunflower oil or coconut oil increased the polyunsaturated fat content by over 40 percent, but hydrocolloids were needed to ensure the quality characteristics of the cake. Writing in the Journal of Texture Studies, researchers from the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), India, explained that more people becoming aware of the relationship between the consumption of hydrogenated trans fats and coronary heart disease. As a result, they said that “continuous attempts” are being made by the food industry to redesign and reformulate products to eliminate or replace hydrogenated fats
General information Foodnavigator International food risk communication center formed International food safety authorities have set up a new organization with the aim of creating a collective international resource providing communication materials about food risks along the supply chain. The organization, the International Center of Excellence in Food Risk Communication (ICEFRC), includes global food and health organizations, government agencies, academic institutions, and non-profit communication experts. The founding partners include four US-based organizations – the International Food Information Council Foundation, the Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, the National Center for Food Protection and Defense, and the United States Department of Agriculture – as well as Health Canada, and Food Standards Australia New Zealand.
Food safety issue (radioactive issue) Online news-thestar Japan says it may take months to end radiation leaks TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan's government warned on Sunday it may take months to stop radiation leaking from a nuclear plant crippled by a huge earthquake and tsunami three weeks ago, as more bodies were recovered in devastated areas of northeast Japan.A worker wearing a protective suit walks near the damaged pit at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant No. 2 reactor in Fukushima prefecture, northern Japan April 2, 2011 in this handout photo released by Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency on April 3, 2011. (REUTERS/Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency/Handout).An aide to embattled Prime Minister Naoto Kan said the government's priority was to stop radiation leaks which were scaring the public and hindering work on cooling overheated nuclear fuel rods
Food safety issue (radioactive issue) Online news-
bharian Jurutera gagal tutup rekahan loji TOKYO: Jurutera semalam gagal menutup rekahan yang menyebabkan air tercemar radiasi mencurah ke dalam Lautan Pasifik dari loji jana kuasa nuklear yang musnah akibat gempa bumi dan tsunami bulan lalu, namun pencarian di tapak itu tidak menemui kebocoran lain semalam. Gambar diedarkan syarikat pengendali loji, Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO), menunjukkan air memancut daripada dinding dan menyembur ke laut. Air tercemar itu segera larut dengan air laut, mungkin membahayakan kepada pekerja loji itu. Lopak air di loji nuklear Fukushima Dai-ichi, yang dipercayai datangnya dari teras reaktor, berulang kali memaksa juruteknik berundur dan menangguhkan tugas.
General information Online news-
bharian Lembu keluar susu manusia LONDON: Saintis sudah mencipta ternakan yang diubah secara genetik yang menghasilkan susu 'manusia' dalam cubaan menjadikan susu lembu lebih berkhasiat. Saintis memperkenalkan gen manusia ke dalam 300 lembu tenusu untuk menghasilkan susu dengan khasiat sama seperti susu ibu. Susu ibu mengandungi kuantiti tinggi nutrisi penting yang membantu menaikkan sistem pertahanan badan bayi dan mengurangkan risiko jangkitan. Saintis di balik penyelidikan itu percaya susu dari ternakan lembu yang diubah suai secara genetik mungkin menghasilkan satu alternatif terhadap susu ibu dan susu formula untuk bayi, yang sering dikritik sebagai bermutu rendah.
Recall (allergen) FSA Sainsbury's withdraws some Freefrom Chocolate Sponge Pudding Sainsbury’s has withdrawn its Freefrom Chocolate Sponge Pudding with a'best before' date of 13 April 2011, because the product contains low levels of milk protein. Milk is not an intended ingredient and this makes the product a possible health risk for anyone who is allergic to or intolerant of milk.
Recall (allergen) CFIA
UNDECLARED PEANUTS IN CERTAIN DOCTOR'S CARBRITE DIET CHOCOLATE BROWNIE BARS OTTAWA, April 1, 2011 - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is
warning people with allergies to peanuts not to consume the Doctor's CarbRite Diet Chocolate Brownie bars described below. The affected product contains peanuts which are not declared on the label.The affected product, Doctor's CarbRite Diet Chocolate Brownie bars are sold in 56.7 g (2.00 oz) packages, bearing UPC 0 39442 08112 4 and code EXP101211.This product may have been distributed nationally.
Food regulation FSA
FDA proposes draft menu and vending machine labeling requirements, invites public to comment on proposals The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today issued two proposed regulations regarding calorie labeling on menus and menu boards in chain restaurants, retail food establishments, and vending machines. The FDA invites input on the proposed regulations by visiting http://www.regulations.gov1/.“These proposals will ensure that consumers have more information when they make their own food choices,” said Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “Giving consumers clear nutritional information makes it easier for them to choose healthier options that can help fight obesity and make us all healthier.”
Food regulation EFSA Scientific Opinion on Flavouring Group Evaluation 86, Revision
1 (FGE.86Rev1): Consideration of aliphatic and aromatic amines and amides evaluated by JECFA (65th meeting) The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) asked the Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavourings and Processing Aids (the Panel) to provide scientific advice to the Commission on the implications for human health of chemically defined flavouring substances used in or on foodstuffs in the Member States. In particular, the Panel was requested to consider the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (the JECFA) evaluations of flavouring substances assessed since 2000, and to decide whether no further evaluation is necessary, as laid down in Commission Regulation (EC) No 1565/2000. These flavouring substances are listed in the Register, which was adopted by Commission Decision 1999/217/EC and its consecutive amendments.The present consideration concerns 34 aliphatic and aromatic amines and amides evaluated by the JECFA (65th meeting). The Panel concluded that no corresponding FGE is available.
Recall (microb) FSIS Minnesota Firm Recalls Turkey Burger Products Due to Possible Salmonella Contamination WASHINGTON, April 1, 2011 -Jennie-O Turkey Store, a Willmar, Minn.establishment, is recalling approximately 54,960 pounds of frozen, raw turkey burger products that may be contaminated with Salmonella, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. As FSIS continues its investigation of illnesses related to this recall, additional raw turkey products may be recalled. As a result, FSIS is alerting consumers to take extra care when preparing all raw turkey products.
Food regulation EFSA Updated technical specifications for harmonised reporting of food-borne outbreaks through the European Union reporting system in accordance with Directive 2003/99/EC In the analyses of the reported data on food-borne outbreaks at the European Union level it is important to address the relevance of different food categories as outbreak vehicles and the causative agents most frequently associated with these food vehicles. This report includes an update of the technical specification for harmonised reporting of food-borne outbreaks to the European Union, which allow to better achieve their objectives. The distinction between “verified” and “possible” food-borne outbreaks is abandoned in the reporting. Member States shall report all food-borne outbreaks which meet the definition in the Directive 2003/99/EC. In case of food-borne outbreaks where no particular food vehicle is suspected and for food-borne outbreaks where the evidence implicating a particular food vehicle is weak only a limited dataset is reported. This includes the number of outbreaks per causative agent and the number of human cases, hospitalisations and deaths. A detailed dataset is to be reported for food-borne outbreaks where the evidence implicating a particular food vehicle is strong, based on an assessment of all available evidence. The information to be reported for these outbreaks includes the nature of the evidence to support the link between cases of disease in humans and the food vehicle as well as data on causative agents, food vehicles and the factors in food preparation and handling that contributed to the food-borne outbreaks. Food research MASU Lower BPA By Choosing Fresh Over Canned Foods A new study has some promising news on how we can control our exposure. It shows that we can reduce our exposure to BPA – in a relatively short period of time – simply by making some smart choices at the grocery store. The study had five families stop using canned and plastic food packaging for a few days and instead they ate organic food and meals stored in glass or stainless steel containers. After just three days, the families’ BPA levels dropped and average of 60%. However, as soon as the families went back to their regular diets, their BPA levels went up again. Food regulation MASU FDA advisers want more study of food dye-ADHD link A Food and Drug Administration advisory committee decided Thursday there is insufficient evidence to support a link between artificial dyes in foods and children with ADHD. The committee will make no recommendation to ban or regulate dye additives found in food products. But the committee did stress that there seems to be a trend with artificial dyes and side effects in children and that more research is needed.
General information consumer.healthday Research Warns of Overuse of Powerful Class of Antibiotics SUNDAY, April 3 (HealthDay News) -- The use of a powerful class of antibiotics called carbapenems has increased dramatically in the United States over the past five years, a new study shows.The increased use of these drugs -- widely regarded as the last option for treating severe infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria -- is cause for concern because carbapenem-resistant bacteria are becoming more common, the researchers said. Overuse of carbapenem drugs could lead to the reduction of their effectiveness against tough-to-treat infections.
Food regulation Foodnavigator UK pressure group backs proposed EU labelling amendment A UK pressure group against the use of processing aids in bread production is backing a proposed amendment to EU regulation that will require foods frozen, and then defrosted before sale, to be labelled ‘defrosted’. The proposed revision to the EU Food Information Regulation (FIR), adopted by the EU Council at its first reading last month, will enable greater transparency over the marketing of par baked loaves in particular, claims the Real Bread Campaign. The amendment, should it be carried, would represent a significant change to existing EU labelling laws (Directive 2000/13/EC) where you only label goods as 'defrosted' (chicken, for instance) when it is believed the absence of such a designation could potentially mislead the consumer.
Food regulation Nutraingredients Lobbying intensifies ahead of MEP omega-3 infant health claim vote Lobbying is ratcheting up ahead of next week's European Parliament (EP) vote on whether to permit a European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and European Commission (EC)-approved claim linking omega-3 form DHA and infant eye health. Will DHA-based infant visual development claims be allowed in the European Union? Eyes will turn to the European Parliament which must vote on the matter next week.The claim submitted by infant formula maker Mead Johnson won in 2009 an EFSA positive opinion for visual development in infants up to 12 months if products contained at least 0.3 per cent of their fatty acid content in DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). The claim was then validated at EC committee level, but an EP committee last month narrowly voted to oppose it (30-28) and next week the Parliament will vote on whether to send the claim to the EU legislature or to scrap it.
Food regulation Perishablenews Gluten Free Community Seeks Resolution To Overdue FDA Labeling Regulations Columbia, MD - Prominent members of the burgeoning gluten-free community announced today a collaborative “1in133” event on May 4 to bake the world’s largest gluten-free cake as part of an effort to draw attention to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) delay in finalizing standards for gluten-free food labeling. The name is derived from the fact that one in every 133 people in the U.S. suffers from celiac disease or a gluten intolerance issue.
Food safety issue Foodsafety.net 03/04/11: Food safety in school canteen Malaysian schools are expected to provide a safe environment for children in all aspects of safety, especially food.If, like the Health Minister says, about half of all food poisoning cases occur in schools, then why hasn’t the ministry done anything about it, except talk and provide shocking figures.It is alarming that 5,496 students or almost 10 per cent of the 57,364 students, were exposed to the risk, as disclosed by Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai yesterday.
Food safety issue SCPINET Food Companies (Cosmetic) Use of Synthetic Food Dyes: The Case of Cancer and Ammonia Process Caramel in Soft Drinks OTTAWA (March 31, 2011)-Ammonia process caramela synthetic dye created by heating sugar in the presence of ammoniais used to give Coke, Pepsi, and other cola soft drinks their brown or black colour. In a letter to Minister of Health Leona Aglukkaq, the Centre for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) is calling on the federal government to heed the expert opinions of the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, and a cadre of top U.S. toxicologists who have raised serious concerns about two carcinogens created during the synthesis of ammonia process caramel, which cause an estimated two dozen cancer deaths annually in Canada.
Food safety issue Foodsafety.net 03/04/11: 16 suspects charged in pork scandal China’s top prosecution body has filed charges of breach of duty against 16 government officials implicated in a tainted pork scandal, while the alleged misdeeds of another 41 are still being probed. An official with the Supreme People’s Procuratorate confirmed to China Daily that investigations are being conducted into the actions of 12 civil servants, who include quarantine inspectors and animal-epidemic prevention coordinators in Central China’s Henan province, as well as four officials from the commerce bureau and animal health control department in East China’s Jiangsu province.The official, who asked to not be named, said prosecutors also have another 41 officials in Henan under scrutiny and have applied coercive measures against 72 farmers and brokers suspected of producing and selling tainted pork.
Food regulation CSPINET CSPI Hails Proposed Menu Labeling Regulations Ten years after starting a movement to put calories on chain restaurant menus and menu boards, the Center for Science in the Public Interest strongly supports the proposed menu labeling regulations released by the Food and Drug Administration. The new regulations are required by the health care reform law enacted last March, which requires chain restaurants with 20 or more outlets to post calories on menus and menu boards, and to provide additional nutrition information in writing upon request. The proposed rules released today are expected to be finalized by the end of the year.
Food regulation CSPINET Strong FDA Action on Food Dyes Urged I’m glad that after many years of denial, the Food and Drug Administration is reviewing the evidence linking synthetic food dyes to behavioral problems in children. Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, and other dyes have no useful nutritional or preservative value; their only function is cosmetic. And by "cosmetic," I mean that dyes are often used to make junk food more attractive to young children, or to simulate the presence of a healthful fruit or other natural ingredient. Surprisingly, even foods that aren’t particularly colorful—such as instant mashed potatoes or pickles—are dyed. The evidence that these petrochemicals worsen some children's behavior is convincing, and I hope that the FDA’s advisory committee will advise the agency to both require warning notices and encourage companies voluntarily to switch to safer natural colorings. (The FDA isn't asking the committee about a ban.) Having brightly colored Froot Loops, Skittles, Mountain Dews, or pickles or anything else just isn't worth putting any children at risk.
Food safety issue Foodproductdesign No Fooling: Dead Mouse Found in Energy Drink FEDERAL WAY, Wash.—A 19-year-old Washington man is suing Hansen Beverage Company claiming he found a dead mouse in a can of Monster Energy Drink after he finished drinking it. As reported by Fox News, Vitaliy Sulzhik said he finished drinking a Monster Energy Drink that he purchased at a local supermarket and realized the can wasn’t empty. After cutting the top of the can off, he discovered a dead mouse at the bottom. The incident occurred in March 2010, and the plaintiff has pictures and lab testing to support his case. The tests revealed there was no trauma or poison involved in the mouse’s death. Sulzhik's attorney said Hansen Beverage Company has declined to comment on the lawsuit.
Food regulation Foodproductdesign Resveratrol Self-Affirmed GRAS EASTON, Pa.—Fluxome announced its natural resveratrol was self-affirmed GRAS. The affirmation allows the inclusion of Fluxome Resveratrol in a range of food and beverage products. The company’s resveratrol is produced in the United States via a patented fermentation process.“The GRAS status confirms the safety and superiority of fermentation-derived products, where all process parameters are tightly controlled," said Bo Stenhuus, Ph.D., vice president compliance. “With the GRAS status in the United States, Fluxome has taken a major step forward in its process of obtaining sales approvals for Fluxome Resveratrol in other countries and regions."
Food regulation Foodproductdesign FDA Panel Opposes Warning Labels for Food Colors SILVER SPRING, Md.—The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Food
Advisory Committee on March 31 voted 8-6 against recommending warning labels on foods with synthetic color additives; however, the panel did call for more studies to determine if there is a link between food colors and hyperactivity in children. As reported by Reuters, FDA will consider the committee's recommendations in the next few months and decide how to respond to the Center for Science in the Public Interest’s request to either ban food coloring or mandate warning labels.The International Food Information Council (IFIC) released a statement supporting FDA’s decision: “It was not surprised by the FDA Food Advisory Committee’s determination that artificial food colors do not cause hyperactivity in children. The scientific evidence currently does not show that food colors cause or exacerbate hyperactivity or other behavior problems in the majority of children."
Food regulation Online news-reuters UPDATE 2-US panel rejects food dye warning, asks more study SILVER SPRING, Md., March 31 (Reuters) - A possible link between artificial food dyes and hyperactivity in children warrants further study though current data is too weak to merit warning labels, a U.S. advisory panel said. An expert panel voted 8-6 on Thursday against recommending a warning on the wide range of snacks, cereals, candy, beverages and other foods brightened with artificial colors. The advisers called for more study to determine if the colors worsen hyperactivity in some kids, as a consumer group and other critics argue, keeping the door open on a debate that has concerned parents since the 1970s.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Radioactivity
From CreationWiki, the encyclopedia of creation science
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Radioactive decay (or radioactivity) is the property of some atoms that causes them to spontaneously give off energy as particles or rays. Radioactive atoms emit ionizing radiation when they decay, meaning they have enough energy to break chemical bonds in molecules or remove tightly bound electrons from atoms, thus creating charged molecules or atoms (ions).[1]
Properties
Radioactive atoms are unstable (known radionuclides). An atom is unstable (radioactive) if the forces among the particles that make up the nucleus are unbalanced--if the nucleus has an excess of internal energy. The instability of a radionuclide's nucleus may result from an excess of either neutrons or protons. An unstable nucleus will continually vibrate and contort and, sooner or later, attempt to reach stability by some combination of means:
Radioactive decay occurs when the unstable nucleus emits radiation (disintegrates). The radionuclide is thereby transformed to different nuclides (often called the daughter nuclide). It will continue to decay until the forces in the nucleus are balanced. For example, as a radionuclide decays, it will become a different isotope of the same element if the number of neutrons changes and a different element altogether if the number of protons changes.
Often, when a radionuclide decays, the decay product (the new nuclide) is also radioactive. This is true for most naturally occurring radioactive materials. In order to become stable, these materials must go through many steps, becoming a series of different nuclides and giving off energy as particles or rays at each step. The series of transformations that a given radionuclide will undergo, as well as the kind of radiation it emits, are characteristic of the radionuclide. This is called a 'decay chain.'[2]
The radionuclide will undergo decay if there is a group of particles with a lower total mass that can be reached by decay or by nuclear fission (nucleus splits into smaller nuclei). All elements having an atomic number higher than 83 (the atomic number of bismuth) are radioactive. In addition, a number of elements having lower atomic numbers do have naturally occurring radioactive isotopes. Nuclear physicists have also made two synthetic elements having atomic numbers less than 83 to fill two gaps in the periodic table; both of these are radioactive
Every radioactive element or isotope decays at its own rate. The most common published statistic on the rate of decay of any radionuclide is the half-life. This is the hypothetical amount of time that must pass for half of the element or isotope to decay to its next daughter nuclide. Under normal circumstances, an isotope's half-life does not change, nor has any nuclear physicist ever produced a change in any isotope's half-life. However, the RATE Group has developed clear and convincing evidence that the half-lives of all then-naturally-occurring radioactive elements was accelerated greatly at the time of the Global Flood--and furthermore, this change might have triggered that event. (See: Accelerated decay).
Decay types
Radio nuclides of different types can be involved in several different reactions that produce radiant energy. The three main types of ionizing radiation are alpha, beta, and gamma.
1.Alpha decay- Two protons and two neutrons emitted from nucleus
2.Beta decay- A neutron emits an electron and an antineutrino and becomes a proton
3.Gamma decay- Excited nucleus releases a high-energy photon
4.Positron emission- A proton emits a positron and a neutrino and becomes a neutrino
5.Internal conversion- Excited nucleus transfers energy to an orbiting electron and ejects it
6.Proton emission- A proton is ejected from nucleus
7.Neutron emission- A neutron is ejected from nucleus
8.Electron capture- A proton combines with an orbiting electron, emits a neutrino and becomes a neutron
9.Spontaneous fission- Nucleus disintegrates into two or more random smaller nuclei and other particles
10.Cluster decay- Nucleus emits a certain type of smaller nucleus that are larger than an alpha particle
11.Double-beta decay- two neutrons emit two electrons and two antineutrons become two protons
Alpha
Alpha radiation are helium nuclei that have been emitted from a radioactive source. The Alpha particle includes two protons and two neutrons and has a 2+ charge. An alpha particle can be written as 42He or as α in nuclear equations. The atomic number of the daughter atom is reduced by 2 and its mass number is lower by 4 when an atom loses an alpha particle.[4]
For example, examine the following chemical equation. Superscripts represents the mass numbers and subscripts represents the atomic numbers.
(α emission)
The sum of the atomic masses of Thorium and alpha particle is equal to that of Uranium. As are the sums of the atomic numbers.[5]
Beta
There are 3 types of Beta decay: electron emission, electron capture, and positron emission. [5] During electron emission, a neutron changes into a proton with the loss of an electron. For example, 31H becomes 32He with the loss of 0-1e.
A beta particle can be written as 0-1e or β in nuclear equations. The superscript 0 shows that electron has very small mass compared to proton. Since its subscript is -1, the electron has negative charge.[6]
(β emission)
Since Carbon-14 emits a beta particle, the nitrogen-14 atom has the same atomic mass number (both of their superscripts are same), but its atomic number is increased by 1. It means that it contains one more proton and one fewer neutron.
Gamma
A gamma ray is a high-energy photon emitted by a radioisotope. Sometimes, nuclei emit gamma rays with alpha or beta particles during radioactive decay as you can see in the following equation
Since gamma rays do not have any mass, it does not affect the atomic number or mass number of an atom. [7]
Summary
Types of Radiation:
Alpha Particles Alpha particles can be shielded by a sheet of paper or by human skin. However, if radionuclides that emit alpha particles are inhaled, ingested, or enter your body through a cut in your skin, they can be very harmful.
Beta Particles Beta particles cannot be stopped by a sheet of paper. Some beta particles can be stopped by human skin, but some need a thicker shield (like wood) to stop them. Just like alpha particles, beta particles can also cause serious damage to your health if they enter your body. For example, if ingested, some radionuclides that emit beta particles might be absorbed into your bones and cause damage.
Gamma and X-Rays Gamma rays are the most penetrating of the three types of radiation listed here. Gamma rays usually accompany beta, and some alpha rays. Gamma rays will penetrate paper, skin, wood, and other substances. To protect yourself from gamma rays, you need a shield at least as thick as a concrete wall. This type of radiation causes severe damage to your internal organs. (X-rays fall into this category, but they are less penetrating than gamma rays.)
History of discovery
Radioactivity was first discovered by accident in 1896 by a French scientist, Henri Becquerel. He was experimenting with fluorescent and phosphorescent materials to help understand the properties of x-rays and their ability to expose photographic film, which had been discovered in 1895 by Wilhelm Roentgen. Upon seeing x-ray exposed film, he immediately thought of putting some phosphorescent rocks on photographic paper to see if it would darken the film in the same way.[8]
He exposed potassium uranyl sulfate to sunlight and then placed it on photographic plates wrapped in black paper.[9] As Becquerel had anticipated, the phosphorescent salts had produced an image on the film. He theorized that the uranium absorbed the sun’s energy and then emitted it as x-rays. His theories were proven false when it became overcast in Paris putting off further experiments for a couple of days. He placed the photographic plates and the uranium salt in a drawer and for some unknown reason, decided to develop the photographic plates anyway.[10] He was surprised to find a strong and clear image exposed onto the film, proving that the uranium emitted radiation without an external source of energy such as the sun. During this fortuitous sequence of events Becquerel had discovered radioactivity.[9]
Marie Curie, who was one of Becquerel's students and her husband Pierre, continued to study radiation while working in Becquerel's lab. While testing an ore of uranium (pitchblende), for its ability to turn air into a conductor of electricity, she discovered that a much more active element than uranium must exist within the ore. She named this new element polonium, and coined the term radioactivity to describe the process.[11] Henri Becquerel, Marie and Pierre Curie jointly received the Nobel Prize in physics in 1903 for their discovery of radioactivity and their other contributions in this area
Beneficial Uses of Radiation
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, together with state regulatory agencies, controls the use and handling of man-made radiation.
Radioactive materials also provide substantial economic benefits. Worldwide, nuclear applications in industry alone including measurement gauges, smoke detectors and sterilization of medical supplie account for more than $40 billion each year.
Benefits of Man-Made
Radiation In the 20th century, mankind learned to use radiation to improve the quality of life. The development of nuclear technology is one of the most significant achievements of the 20th century, according to the National Academy of Engineering. Today, people use nuclear technology in nearly every field and aspect of life from medicine to manufacturing and construction, to powering common household items, to
producing electricity for one of every five U.S. homes and businesses.
Here are some of the many ways radiation benefits us all:
Medicine. According to the Society of Nuclear Medicine,
5,000 nuclear medicine centers in the United States perform nearly 18 million nuclear medicine procedures each year. These procedures prolong and improve the quality of people’s lives. Radioisotopes also are used in 100 million laboratory tests on body fluid and tissue specimens. Today, approximately 500,000 cancer patients in the United States receive radiation treatment at some point in their therapy. Radioisotopes and X-rays aid physicians in diagnosing and treating scores of other diseases.
Nuclear medicine can evaluate the functional performance of various organs. It can do that because different organs use different specific elements more than others. For example, the thyroid uses iodine, bones take up phosphorus and muscles use a lot of potassium. In nuclear medicine, tiny amounts of a radioactive form of these elements are introduced into a patient’s body. The “radioisotopes” are picked up by specific organs, enabling a special camera to take a picture of how that organ is functioning in striking detail. For example:
Myocardial perfusion imaging maps blood flow to the heart, allowing physicians to see whether a patient has heart disease and to determine the most effective course of treatment.
Bone scans can detect the spread of cancer six to 18 months earlier than X-rays.
Kidney scans are much more sensitive than X-rays or ultrasounds in fully evaluating kidney function.
Imaging with radioactive technetium-99m can help diagnose bone infections at the earliest possible stage.
Laboratory techniques using radioactivity can detect underactive thyroids in newborn babies, making prompt treatment possible and saving many children from mental retardation.
In higher doses, radioisotopes also help treat disease. When former President George H.W. Bush and Mrs. Bush suffered from Graves’ disease, a thyroid condition, they were cured by drinking a form of radioactive
iodine that concentrates naturally in the thyroid and destroys in the diseased portion. This treatment is so successful that it virtually has replaced thyroid urgery.
Radioactive iodine’s widespread use in therapy for thyroid cancer results in a lower recurrence rate than drug therapy and voids potentially fatal side effects, such as the destruction of bone marrow.
Jump to: navigation, search
Radioactive decay (or radioactivity) is the property of some atoms that causes them to spontaneously give off energy as particles or rays. Radioactive atoms emit ionizing radiation when they decay, meaning they have enough energy to break chemical bonds in molecules or remove tightly bound electrons from atoms, thus creating charged molecules or atoms (ions).[1]
Properties
Radioactive atoms are unstable (known radionuclides). An atom is unstable (radioactive) if the forces among the particles that make up the nucleus are unbalanced--if the nucleus has an excess of internal energy. The instability of a radionuclide's nucleus may result from an excess of either neutrons or protons. An unstable nucleus will continually vibrate and contort and, sooner or later, attempt to reach stability by some combination of means:
- Ejecting neutrons, and protons
- Converting one to the other with the ejection of a beta particle or positron
- Releasing the additional energy by photon (i.e., gamma ray) emission.[2]
Radioactive decay occurs when the unstable nucleus emits radiation (disintegrates). The radionuclide is thereby transformed to different nuclides (often called the daughter nuclide). It will continue to decay until the forces in the nucleus are balanced. For example, as a radionuclide decays, it will become a different isotope of the same element if the number of neutrons changes and a different element altogether if the number of protons changes.
Often, when a radionuclide decays, the decay product (the new nuclide) is also radioactive. This is true for most naturally occurring radioactive materials. In order to become stable, these materials must go through many steps, becoming a series of different nuclides and giving off energy as particles or rays at each step. The series of transformations that a given radionuclide will undergo, as well as the kind of radiation it emits, are characteristic of the radionuclide. This is called a 'decay chain.'[2]
The radionuclide will undergo decay if there is a group of particles with a lower total mass that can be reached by decay or by nuclear fission (nucleus splits into smaller nuclei). All elements having an atomic number higher than 83 (the atomic number of bismuth) are radioactive. In addition, a number of elements having lower atomic numbers do have naturally occurring radioactive isotopes. Nuclear physicists have also made two synthetic elements having atomic numbers less than 83 to fill two gaps in the periodic table; both of these are radioactive
Rate
Every radioactive element or isotope decays at its own rate. The most common published statistic on the rate of decay of any radionuclide is the half-life. This is the hypothetical amount of time that must pass for half of the element or isotope to decay to its next daughter nuclide. Under normal circumstances, an isotope's half-life does not change, nor has any nuclear physicist ever produced a change in any isotope's half-life. However, the RATE Group has developed clear and convincing evidence that the half-lives of all then-naturally-occurring radioactive elements was accelerated greatly at the time of the Global Flood--and furthermore, this change might have triggered that event. (See: Accelerated decay).
Decay types
Radio nuclides of different types can be involved in several different reactions that produce radiant energy. The three main types of ionizing radiation are alpha, beta, and gamma.
1.Alpha decay- Two protons and two neutrons emitted from nucleus
2.Beta decay- A neutron emits an electron and an antineutrino and becomes a proton
3.Gamma decay- Excited nucleus releases a high-energy photon
4.Positron emission- A proton emits a positron and a neutrino and becomes a neutrino
5.Internal conversion- Excited nucleus transfers energy to an orbiting electron and ejects it
6.Proton emission- A proton is ejected from nucleus
7.Neutron emission- A neutron is ejected from nucleus
8.Electron capture- A proton combines with an orbiting electron, emits a neutrino and becomes a neutron
9.Spontaneous fission- Nucleus disintegrates into two or more random smaller nuclei and other particles
10.Cluster decay- Nucleus emits a certain type of smaller nucleus that are larger than an alpha particle
11.Double-beta decay- two neutrons emit two electrons and two antineutrons become two protons
| Property | Alpha radiation | Beta radiation | Gamma radiation |
|---|
| Symbol | 42He or α | 0 − 1e or β | γ |
| Charge | 2+ | 1- | 0 |
| Mass | 4 | 1/1837 | 0 |
| Penetrating power | Low | Moderate | Very high |
Alpha
Alpha radiation are helium nuclei that have been emitted from a radioactive source. The Alpha particle includes two protons and two neutrons and has a 2+ charge. An alpha particle can be written as 42He or as α in nuclear equations. The atomic number of the daughter atom is reduced by 2 and its mass number is lower by 4 when an atom loses an alpha particle.[4]
For example, examine the following chemical equation. Superscripts represents the mass numbers and subscripts represents the atomic numbers.
(α emission) The sum of the atomic masses of Thorium and alpha particle is equal to that of Uranium. As are the sums of the atomic numbers.[5]
Beta
There are 3 types of Beta decay: electron emission, electron capture, and positron emission. [5] During electron emission, a neutron changes into a proton with the loss of an electron. For example, 31H becomes 32He with the loss of 0-1e.
A beta particle can be written as 0-1e or β in nuclear equations. The superscript 0 shows that electron has very small mass compared to proton. Since its subscript is -1, the electron has negative charge.[6]
(β emission)Since Carbon-14 emits a beta particle, the nitrogen-14 atom has the same atomic mass number (both of their superscripts are same), but its atomic number is increased by 1. It means that it contains one more proton and one fewer neutron.
Gamma
A gamma ray is a high-energy photon emitted by a radioisotope. Sometimes, nuclei emit gamma rays with alpha or beta particles during radioactive decay as you can see in the following equation
Since gamma rays do not have any mass, it does not affect the atomic number or mass number of an atom. [7]
Summary
Types of Radiation:
Alpha Particles Alpha particles can be shielded by a sheet of paper or by human skin. However, if radionuclides that emit alpha particles are inhaled, ingested, or enter your body through a cut in your skin, they can be very harmful.
Beta Particles Beta particles cannot be stopped by a sheet of paper. Some beta particles can be stopped by human skin, but some need a thicker shield (like wood) to stop them. Just like alpha particles, beta particles can also cause serious damage to your health if they enter your body. For example, if ingested, some radionuclides that emit beta particles might be absorbed into your bones and cause damage.
Gamma and X-Rays Gamma rays are the most penetrating of the three types of radiation listed here. Gamma rays usually accompany beta, and some alpha rays. Gamma rays will penetrate paper, skin, wood, and other substances. To protect yourself from gamma rays, you need a shield at least as thick as a concrete wall. This type of radiation causes severe damage to your internal organs. (X-rays fall into this category, but they are less penetrating than gamma rays.)
History of discovery
Radioactivity was first discovered by accident in 1896 by a French scientist, Henri Becquerel. He was experimenting with fluorescent and phosphorescent materials to help understand the properties of x-rays and their ability to expose photographic film, which had been discovered in 1895 by Wilhelm Roentgen. Upon seeing x-ray exposed film, he immediately thought of putting some phosphorescent rocks on photographic paper to see if it would darken the film in the same way.[8]
He exposed potassium uranyl sulfate to sunlight and then placed it on photographic plates wrapped in black paper.[9] As Becquerel had anticipated, the phosphorescent salts had produced an image on the film. He theorized that the uranium absorbed the sun’s energy and then emitted it as x-rays. His theories were proven false when it became overcast in Paris putting off further experiments for a couple of days. He placed the photographic plates and the uranium salt in a drawer and for some unknown reason, decided to develop the photographic plates anyway.[10] He was surprised to find a strong and clear image exposed onto the film, proving that the uranium emitted radiation without an external source of energy such as the sun. During this fortuitous sequence of events Becquerel had discovered radioactivity.[9]
Marie Curie, who was one of Becquerel's students and her husband Pierre, continued to study radiation while working in Becquerel's lab. While testing an ore of uranium (pitchblende), for its ability to turn air into a conductor of electricity, she discovered that a much more active element than uranium must exist within the ore. She named this new element polonium, and coined the term radioactivity to describe the process.[11] Henri Becquerel, Marie and Pierre Curie jointly received the Nobel Prize in physics in 1903 for their discovery of radioactivity and their other contributions in this area
Beneficial Uses of Radiation
This fact sheet covers the many beneficial uses of radiation. Topics covered include: medicine; scientific research; agriculture and food production; space exploration; naval propulsion; industrial uses; and consumer products and services. Total contribution to the national economy is also detailed Key Facts
Modern society uses ionizing radiation, a form of energy abundant in nature, to provide hundreds of beneficial uses. Radioisotopes are both naturally occurring and man-made. They are used safely for medical
diagnosis and treatment, in common household products such as television sets and smoke alarms, to produce electricity, and in basic scientific research, manufacturing, minerals exploration, and agriculture.
America’s digital economy and high standard of living would not be possible without radioactive materials. These materials make processes better, easier, quicker and cheaper. In some cases, no alternatives to radioactive materials exist.
Radioactive materials also provide substantial economic benefits. Worldwide, nuclear applications in industry alone including measurement gauges, smoke detectors and sterilization of medical supplie account for more than $40 billion each year.
Benefits of Man-Made
Radiation In the 20th century, mankind learned to use radiation to improve the quality of life. The development of nuclear technology is one of the most significant achievements of the 20th century, according to the National Academy of Engineering. Today, people use nuclear technology in nearly every field and aspect of life from medicine to manufacturing and construction, to powering common household items, to
producing electricity for one of every five U.S. homes and businesses.
Here are some of the many ways radiation benefits us all:
Medicine. According to the Society of Nuclear Medicine,
5,000 nuclear medicine centers in the United States perform nearly 18 million nuclear medicine procedures each year. These procedures prolong and improve the quality of people’s lives. Radioisotopes also are used in 100 million laboratory tests on body fluid and tissue specimens. Today, approximately 500,000 cancer patients in the United States receive radiation treatment at some point in their therapy. Radioisotopes and X-rays aid physicians in diagnosing and treating scores of other diseases.
Nuclear medicine can evaluate the functional performance of various organs. It can do that because different organs use different specific elements more than others. For example, the thyroid uses iodine, bones take up phosphorus and muscles use a lot of potassium. In nuclear medicine, tiny amounts of a radioactive form of these elements are introduced into a patient’s body. The “radioisotopes” are picked up by specific organs, enabling a special camera to take a picture of how that organ is functioning in striking detail. For example:
Myocardial perfusion imaging maps blood flow to the heart, allowing physicians to see whether a patient has heart disease and to determine the most effective course of treatment.
Bone scans can detect the spread of cancer six to 18 months earlier than X-rays.
Kidney scans are much more sensitive than X-rays or ultrasounds in fully evaluating kidney function.
Imaging with radioactive technetium-99m can help diagnose bone infections at the earliest possible stage.
Laboratory techniques using radioactivity can detect underactive thyroids in newborn babies, making prompt treatment possible and saving many children from mental retardation.
In higher doses, radioisotopes also help treat disease. When former President George H.W. Bush and Mrs. Bush suffered from Graves’ disease, a thyroid condition, they were cured by drinking a form of radioactive
iodine that concentrates naturally in the thyroid and destroys in the diseased portion. This treatment is so successful that it virtually has replaced thyroid urgery.
Radioactive iodine’s widespread use in therapy for thyroid cancer results in a lower recurrence rate than drug therapy and voids potentially fatal side effects, such as the destruction of bone marrow.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
TSUNAMI DI JEPUN EARTHQUAKE & TSUNAMI STRUCK IN DEADLY TANDEM
TSUNAMI IN JAPAN
Small tsunami hit Japan after Samoa quake
Wednesday 30th September, 03:42 PM JST
TOKYO —
Small tsunami waves caused by a powerful earthquake that hit Samoa in the Pacific Ocean reached Japan on Wednesday, officials said.
Japan’s Meteorological Agency said tsunami waves, which it described as “very weak,” were registered off the island of Hachijojima about 10 hours after the quake. The agency earlier issued a warning of a possible tsunami all along the eastern coast and said larger waves of up to about 50 centimeters could follow.
There were no reports of injuries or damage in Japan.
The quake, with a magnitude between 8.0 and 8.3, struck around dawn about 32 kilometers below the ocean floor, 190 kilometers from American Samoa, a U.S. territory.
The agency warned residents to be cautious along Japan’s eastern coast from the northern island of Hokkaido to the southern tip of Kyushu island, with the Okinawa islands to the far south also included.
Japan is about 7,600 kilometers northwest of Samoa
TOKYO — Rescuers struggled to reach survivors on Saturday morning as Japan reeled after an earthquake and a tsunami struck in deadly tandem. The 8.9-magnitude earthquake set off a devastating tsunami that sent walls of water washing over coastal cities in the north. Concerns mounted over possible radiation leaks from two nuclear plants near the earthquake zone.
Evacuees gathered on Friday in Shinjuku Central Park in Tokyo, hit hard even though it was far from the epicenter. More Photos »
The death toll from the tsunami and earthquake, the strongest ever recorded in Japan, was in the hundreds, but Japanese news media quoted government officials as saying that it would almost certainly rise to more than 1,000. About 200 to 300 bodies were found along the waterline in Sendai, a port city in northeastern Japan and the closest major city to the epicenter.
Thousands of homes were destroyed, many roads were impassable, trains and buses were not running, and power and cellphones remained down. On Saturday morning, the JR rail company said that there were three trains missing in parts of two northern prefectures.
While the loss of life and property may yet be considerable, many lives were certainly saved by Japan’s extensive disaster preparedness and strict construction codes. Japan’s economy was spared a more devastating blow because the earthquake hit far from its industrial heartland.
Japanese officials on Saturday issued broad evacuation orders for people living in the vicinity of two separate nuclear power plants that had experienced breakdowns in their cooling systems as a result of the earthquake, and they warned that small amounts of radiation could leak from both plants.
On Friday, at 2:46 p.m. Tokyo time, the quake struck. First came the roar and rumble of the temblor, shaking skyscrapers, toppling furniture and buckling highways. Then waves as high as 30 feet rushed onto shore, whisking away cars and carrying blazing buildings toward factories, fields and highways.
By Saturday morning, Japan was filled with scenes of desperation, as stranded survivors called for help and rescuers searched for people buried in the rubble. Kazushige Itabashi, an official in Natori City, one of the areas hit hardest by the tsunami, said several districts in an area near Sendai’s airport were annihilated.
Rescuers found 870 people in one elementary school on Saturday morning and were trying to reach 1,200 people in the junior high school, closer to the water. There was no electricity and no water for people in shelters. According to a newspaper, the Mainichi Shimbun, about 600 people were on the roof of a public grade school, in Sendai City. By Saturday morning, Japan’s Self-Defense Forces and firefighters had evacuated about 150 of them.
On the rooftop of Chuo Hospital in the city of Iwanuma, doctors and nurses were waving white flags and pink umbrellas, according to TV Asahi. On the floor of the roof, they wrote “Help” in English, and “Food” in Japanese. The reporter, observing the scene from a helicopter, said, “If anyone in the City Hall office is watching, please help them.”
The station also showed scenes of people stranded on a bridge, cut off by water on both sides near the mouth of the Abukuma River in Miyagi Prefecture.
People were frantically searching for their relatives. Fumiaki Yamato, 70, was in his second home in a mountain village outside of Sendai when the earthquake struck. He spoke from his car as he was driving toward Sendai trying to find the rest of his family. While it usually takes about an hour to drive to the city, parts of the road were impassable. “I’m getting worried,” he said as he pulled over to take a reporter’s call. “I don’t know how many hours it’s going to take.”
Japanese, accustomed to frequent earthquakes, were stunned by this one’s magnitude and the more than 100 aftershocks, many equivalent to major quakes.
“I never experienced such a strong earthquake in my life,” said Toshiaki Takahashi, 49, an official at Sendai City Hall. “I thought it would stop, but it just kept shaking and shaking, and getting stronger.”
Train service was shut down across central and northern Japan, including Tokyo, and air travel was severely disrupted
Small tsunami hit Japan after Samoa quake
Wednesday 30th September, 03:42 PM JST
TOKYO —
Small tsunami waves caused by a powerful earthquake that hit Samoa in the Pacific Ocean reached Japan on Wednesday, officials said.
Japan’s Meteorological Agency said tsunami waves, which it described as “very weak,” were registered off the island of Hachijojima about 10 hours after the quake. The agency earlier issued a warning of a possible tsunami all along the eastern coast and said larger waves of up to about 50 centimeters could follow.
There were no reports of injuries or damage in Japan.
The quake, with a magnitude between 8.0 and 8.3, struck around dawn about 32 kilometers below the ocean floor, 190 kilometers from American Samoa, a U.S. territory.
The agency warned residents to be cautious along Japan’s eastern coast from the northern island of Hokkaido to the southern tip of Kyushu island, with the Okinawa islands to the far south also included.
Japan is about 7,600 kilometers northwest of Samoa
TOKYO — Rescuers struggled to reach survivors on Saturday morning as Japan reeled after an earthquake and a tsunami struck in deadly tandem. The 8.9-magnitude earthquake set off a devastating tsunami that sent walls of water washing over coastal cities in the north. Concerns mounted over possible radiation leaks from two nuclear plants near the earthquake zone.
Evacuees gathered on Friday in Shinjuku Central Park in Tokyo, hit hard even though it was far from the epicenter. More Photos »
The death toll from the tsunami and earthquake, the strongest ever recorded in Japan, was in the hundreds, but Japanese news media quoted government officials as saying that it would almost certainly rise to more than 1,000. About 200 to 300 bodies were found along the waterline in Sendai, a port city in northeastern Japan and the closest major city to the epicenter.
Thousands of homes were destroyed, many roads were impassable, trains and buses were not running, and power and cellphones remained down. On Saturday morning, the JR rail company said that there were three trains missing in parts of two northern prefectures.
While the loss of life and property may yet be considerable, many lives were certainly saved by Japan’s extensive disaster preparedness and strict construction codes. Japan’s economy was spared a more devastating blow because the earthquake hit far from its industrial heartland.
Japanese officials on Saturday issued broad evacuation orders for people living in the vicinity of two separate nuclear power plants that had experienced breakdowns in their cooling systems as a result of the earthquake, and they warned that small amounts of radiation could leak from both plants.
On Friday, at 2:46 p.m. Tokyo time, the quake struck. First came the roar and rumble of the temblor, shaking skyscrapers, toppling furniture and buckling highways. Then waves as high as 30 feet rushed onto shore, whisking away cars and carrying blazing buildings toward factories, fields and highways.
By Saturday morning, Japan was filled with scenes of desperation, as stranded survivors called for help and rescuers searched for people buried in the rubble. Kazushige Itabashi, an official in Natori City, one of the areas hit hardest by the tsunami, said several districts in an area near Sendai’s airport were annihilated.
Rescuers found 870 people in one elementary school on Saturday morning and were trying to reach 1,200 people in the junior high school, closer to the water. There was no electricity and no water for people in shelters. According to a newspaper, the Mainichi Shimbun, about 600 people were on the roof of a public grade school, in Sendai City. By Saturday morning, Japan’s Self-Defense Forces and firefighters had evacuated about 150 of them.
On the rooftop of Chuo Hospital in the city of Iwanuma, doctors and nurses were waving white flags and pink umbrellas, according to TV Asahi. On the floor of the roof, they wrote “Help” in English, and “Food” in Japanese. The reporter, observing the scene from a helicopter, said, “If anyone in the City Hall office is watching, please help them.”
The station also showed scenes of people stranded on a bridge, cut off by water on both sides near the mouth of the Abukuma River in Miyagi Prefecture.
People were frantically searching for their relatives. Fumiaki Yamato, 70, was in his second home in a mountain village outside of Sendai when the earthquake struck. He spoke from his car as he was driving toward Sendai trying to find the rest of his family. While it usually takes about an hour to drive to the city, parts of the road were impassable. “I’m getting worried,” he said as he pulled over to take a reporter’s call. “I don’t know how many hours it’s going to take.”
Japanese, accustomed to frequent earthquakes, were stunned by this one’s magnitude and the more than 100 aftershocks, many equivalent to major quakes.
“I never experienced such a strong earthquake in my life,” said Toshiaki Takahashi, 49, an official at Sendai City Hall. “I thought it would stop, but it just kept shaking and shaking, and getting stronger.”
Train service was shut down across central and northern Japan, including Tokyo, and air travel was severely disrupted
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Tubersilosis...[ TB ]...Batuk Kering
Pengenalan
Tibi adalah suatu penyakit berjangkit. Ia merebak melalui udara dan titisan cecair badan daripada pesakit kepada orang lain. Kuman yang menyebabkan penyakit tibi ialah sejenis bakteria dipanggil Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
* Sejarah
Penyakit tibi diketahui wujud sejak dari tahun 8,000 sebelum Masihi di mana terdapat kesan-kesan penyakit tibi di tulang belakang mumia Firaun.
Pada tahun 460 sebelum Masihi, Hippocrates iaitu bapa perubatan telah menamakan penyakit itu sebagai pthisis.
Ibnu Sina di dalam bukunya Kanun Perubatan mengetahui bahawa tibi diumpamakan sebagai suatu penyakit yang berjangkit.
Pada kurun ke-16, tibi dikenali sebagai consumption. Di Malaysia, pada kurun ke-20 penyakit ini dikenali sebagai “batuk kering”.
Pada tahun 1950an, penyakit tibi merupakan pembunuh utama penduduk di Tanah Melayu (Malaya). Pada tahun 1961, Program Kawalan Tibi Kebangsaan ditubuhkan dan semua pesakit tibi dirujuk ke Pusat Tibi Negara di Jalan Pahang, Kuala Lumpur (sekarang dikenali sebagai Institut Perubatan Respiratori).
Pada kurun ke-19, tibi hampir memusnahkan seluruh Eropah dan Amerika. Tibi pada masa itu juga dipanggil hawar putih untuk menyamakannya dengan penyakit hawar hitam (plague) yang telah meragut banyak nyawa di benua Eropah dan Amerika pada kurun ke-18.
“Musuh” kepada kesengsaraan dan kematian manusia ini telah dikenal pasti oleh seorang ahli sains bernama Robert Koch. Beliau menemui bakteria mycobacterium tuberculosis pada 24 Mac 1883.
Mengambil sempena penemuan bakteria pada tarikh itu, 24 Mac telah dijadikan hari memperingati tibi sedunia pada tiap-tiap tahun.
Penyakit tibi tidak mengenal batasan sama ada kekayaan atau kemasyhuran seseorang. Sebagai contoh, Elanor Roosevelt iaitu bekas wanita pertama Amerika dan George Orwell, pengarang buku pada tahun 1984 telah diserang penyakit tibi. Ahli politik ke ahli falsafah, raja-raja ke orang biasa, pelukis ke paderi, doktor ke ahli muzik, semuanya pernah menghidap atau mati disebabkan oleh penyakit tibi.
* Situasi global
Pertubuhan Kesihatan Sedunia (WHO) meramalkan peningkatan penyakit tibi setiap tahun dan dianggarkan insiden tibi mencecah 12 juta sehingga tahun 2005. Satu pertiga daripada penduduk dunia dijangkiti kuman tibi dan setiap tahun, tibi membunuh hampir dua juta penduduk dunia.
* Tuberkulosis Secara Klinikal
Kuman Mycobacterium tuberculosis merebak melalui udara dan titisan daripada pengidap penyakit tibi aktif.
Selain daripada itu, penyebaran penyakit ini adalah melalui pemakanan di mana pada suatu masa dahulu semasa susu tidak dipasturkan, kuman mycobacterium bovis dari susu lembu diminum dan menyebabkan tibi di bahagian usus. Tibi juga boleh menjangkiti seseorang di kulit secara terus jika terdapat luka yang terbuka di kulit. Walau bagaimanapun cara yang paling biasa ialah melalui udara yang tercemar dan titisan.
Seseorang yang terdedah kepada udara yang tercemar dengan kuman tibi akan menghidu kuman ke dalam saluran pernafasan melalui hidung, mulut, larinks dan kuman boleh hinggap di mana-mana sahaja bahagian tersebut.
Kuman tibi akan melalui salur pernafasan dan menghinggap di bahagian atas paru-paru (selalunya paru-paru sebelah kanan). Seseorang yang mempunyai sistem daya tahan (imuniti) yang baik boleh melawan kuman tibi ini secara semula jadi. Jangkitan kuman tibi kali pertama juga boleh diatasi dengan tidak memakan apa-apa ubat.
Bagi mereka yang sistem daya tahan badannya rendah (immunocompromised/immunosuppressed), mereka tidak terdaya untuk berbuat demikian . Mereka ini boleh mendapat jangkitan yang terus menular ke dalam salur darah dan limfa atau kedua-duanya sekali. Ini dipanggil tibi primer (Primary Tuberculosis).
Bagi mereka dengan sistem imuniti yang baik, mungkin terdapat 20 peratus kuman tibi hidup secara dorman (tidak aktif) di dalam klasifikasi granuloma (calcified granuloma). Jika pada suatu masa sistem daya tahan badan golongan ini terjejas, kuman-kuman yang dorman itu boleh membiak semula secara aktif dan menyebabkan jangkitan tibi aktif semula (reactivation tibi).
Proses yang berlaku ialah pembentukan granuloma, radang paru-paru dan kaviti-kaviti (lubang-lubang) di dalam paru-paru. Kuman tibi membiak secara aktif di dalam kaviti-kaviti sehingga berjuta-juta kuman berkembang dan apabila pesakit batuk, bercakap atau bersin, berjuta-juta kuman dikeluarkan ke udara seterusnya mencemari udara.
* Rawatan
Rawatan tibi melibatkan pengubatan dikenali sebagai Short Course Chemotherapy (SCC) selama enam hingga sembilan bulan.
Pada dua bulan pertama, iaitu dipanggil fasa intensif, pesakit mengambil ubat pada setiap hari. Pada bulan seterusnya, pesakit mengambil ubat dua hingga tiga kali seminggu yang dipanggil continous atau maintenance therapy.
Pemberian ubat adalah secara DOTS (Directly Observed Therapy Short Course). DOTS adalah kaedah rawatan yang mempunyai lima cabang.
Salah satu cabang DOTS ialah pesakit dimestikan memakan (menelan) ubat di hadapan pemberi rawatan atau di hadapan seseorang yang boleh dipercayai seperti anggota kesihatan, ibu, isteri, ketua kampung dan sebagainya.
Buku rawatan mesti ditandatangani. Ini adalah penting kerana rawatan tibi mengambil masa berbulan-bulan dan pesakit mesti dipastikan memakan ubat tanpa putus. Jika tidak, penyakit boleh datang semula dan kemungkinan kuman tibi akan menjadi rentan (membentuk ketahanan) kepada ubat tibi.
Apakah batuk kering?..TB
Batuk kering adalah disebabkan oleh jangkitan kuman 'tubercle bacilli'. Ia disebarkan oleh titisan udara apabila pesakit yang mempunyai kuman yang aktif batuk. Paru-paru adalah organ utama yang selalu dijangkiti. Ia juga boleh melibatkan otak, tulang, kelenjar limfa, buah pinggang dan kulit. Batuk kering yang menyerang paru-paru dikenali sebagai 'pulmonary tuberculosis'. Terdapat sebanyak 100 juta penduduk diseluruh dunia dijangkiti batuk kering dimana 8 juta mempunyai jangkitan yang aktif. Sebanyak 2 juta pesakit maut. Pada tahun 2003, sebanyak 15 912 kes batuk kering direkodkan di Malaysia dan 966 dari padanya maut.
Sejarah Program Kawalan Batuk Kering [TB]..Malaysia.
Sebelum peperangan Jepun terdapat sebuah Rumah Kebajikan (Sosial Welfare Home) yang terletak di Batu 3, Jalan Skudai, Johor Bahru (sebahagian daripada Tapak Senaman yang ada sekarang). Rumah Kebajikan Masyarakat itu asalnya adalah sebuah Rumah Sakit Otak (Mental Asylum), kemudiannya dijadikan pula Hospital Pesakit-Pesakit Batuk Kering (Tuberculosis Isolation Hospital) yang dikendalikan oleh Jabatan Perubatan.
Pada bulan Disember, 1945 sebahagian daripada bangunan itu telah diambil alih penyelenggaraannya oleh pihak B.M.A. (British Military Administration) daripada Jabatan Perubatan, dan dijadikan sebuah Pusat Bantuan dan Penerimaan (Relief and Reception Centre) di bawah kelolaan seorang Pegawai Tentera British bernama Lt. B.M. Smith. Pusat ini telah digunakan untuk menempatkan buruh-buruh paksaan yang balik daripada membina "Burma/Siam Death Railway" di Burma dan Siam (Thailand); orang-orang dari negeri jiran yang terdampar di negara ini; pengemis-pengemis dewasa dan kanak-kanak; orang-orang tua; pesakit-pesakit teruk dan orang-orang buta yang tiada tempat kediaman. Pegawai yang menjaga bantuan ketika itu adalah Dato' Awang bin Omar.
HANYA satu hembusan, kuman Tubercle Bacilli mampu berpindah dan menjangkiti ramai individu lain seterusnya 'bersarang' dalam tubuh terbabit bertahun-tahun lamanya. la diam di dalam tubuh seseorang dan menunggu masa; apabila tiba saatnya sistem imunisasi individu itu menjadi lemah antaranya akibat penyakit kencing manis. Aids, barah atau penyakit akibat merokok, kuman itu akan menyerang dan merosakkan organ penghidapnya.
Organ yang paling diminati kuman itu adalah paru-paru selain selaput otak, kelenjar leher dan tulang malah pada tahap kritikal iaitu tanpa rawatan, Tubercle Bacilli mampu menghasilkan kerosakan maksimum sehingga menyebabkan penghidapnya menemui maut.
Penyakit yang dihasilkan kuman itu pernah dikenali sebagai batuk kering di negara ini, suatu ketika dulu. la bagaimanapun digelar Tuberculosis atau Tibi dalam istilah perubatan.
Sejarah menunjukkan Tubercle Bacilli dipercayai wujud sejak 2,500 tahun Sebelum Masihi (BC) tetapi mula dikesan pakar bakteria, Dr Robert Koch pada 1882. Pada zaman awal kajian mengenainya, tibi adalah antara penyakit yang merunsingkan doktor dan ditakuti penduduk dunia. Masakan tidak, dengan sekati hembusan nafas, ia mampu menjangkiti ramai pihak malah kaedah rawatannya pula mengambil masa lama.
Ketua Institut Perubatan Respiratori (IPR), Datin Dr Aziah Ahmad Mahayiddin, berkata sejarah penyakit itu di Malaysia menyaksikan satu pertiga daripada katil di hospital seluruh negara diisi pesakit tibi, sebelum 1960.
"Menyedari kuman ini cepat merebak, kerajaan memulakan langkah kawalan dengan memperkenalkan Program Kawalan Tibi Kebangsaan (PKTK) sekitar 1960. Empat Pusat Tibi Negara (PTN) diwujudkan iaitu di Kuala Lumpur adalah Hospital Lady Tampler dan IPR, Hospital Permai di Johor dan Hospital Tanjung Rambutan di Perak.
"Antara lain PKTK menyediakan program rawatan yang lebih berstruktur dengan PTN mengawasi kewujudan kes Tibi di seluruh negara, menyediakan langkah kawalan, penyelidikan makmal dan mengasingkan pesakit sepanjang rawatan," katanya.
Penemuan ubat bagi mengatasi penyakit itu kemudian dikomersialkan manakala suntikan BCG bagi meningkatkan sistem imun badan dan mencegah serangan Tibi pada organ luar paru-paru mula diperkenalkan kepada bayi, kanak-kanak berusia tujuh dan 12 tahun.
Hasil penciptaan ubat dan program kawalan yang dilakukan, ramai pihak mula menarik nafas lega apabila statistik graf jangkitan Tibi mula menurun dan berkurangan untuk suatu tempoh lama sehinggakan penyakit batuk kering seolah-olah semakin hilang daripada ingatan penduduk.
Keadaan selesa itu berterusan sehinggalah sekitar awal 1990-an apabila penelitian mendapati statistik graf jangkitan Tibi meningkat Kembali daripada 11,778 kes setahun yang dicatatkan pada 1995, ia melonjak kepada hampir 16,000 kes setahun, tahun lalu.
Mungkin ramai tidak menyedari tetapi Tibi turut menyumbang kepada kematian kira-kira 1,500 penduduk negara ini dalam setahun dan dengan peningkatan jumlah kes, kadar kematian juga dijangka meningkat. Dr Aziah berkata, antara faktor peningkatan kes disebabkan bertambahnya jumlah penghidap HIV, kencing manis dan penyakit yang melemahkan sistem imun badan sehingga tidak mampu melawan kuman tibi selain banyaknya kawasan yang sesak dengan manusia.
"Bagaimanapun, Tibi bukanlah penyakit yang berbahaya dan mampu disembuhkan tetapi ia mudah merebak. Mungkin ada individu yang terdedah kepada bakteria Tibi tetapi tidak sakit kerana sistem imun badan mereka kuat.
"Bagi pesakit yang dijangkiti pula, dengan pengambilan ubat berterusan, mereka mampu sembuh. Berlakunya kes kematian pula disebabkan, pesakit mula mendapatkan rawatan ketika sudah pada tahap kronik selain tidak mengambil ubat mengikut jadual ditetapkan.
"Apabila mereka mengambil ubat selama dua minggu dan berasa sihat, mereka mula mengabaikannya menyebabkan bakteria itu tidak mati sebaliknya menjadi kebal terhadap ubat dan menyerang semula," katanya.
Penyakit Tibi juga dikenal pasti sebagai antara tiga penyakit berjangkit yang paling banyak direkodkan di negara ini setiap tahun selain malaria dan denggi. Tibi juga direkodkan antara penyakit berjangkit yang menyebabkan banyak kematian selain malaria, denggi dan Aids.
Sekitar 33 peratus daripada pesakit Aids maut disebabkan jangkitan Tibi berikutan virus HIV memusnahkan sistem imunisasi tubuh pesakit dan akhirnya bakteria Tubercle Bacilli yang ada dalam badan atau baru berjangkit, merosakkan organ badan.
Pada peringkat global pula, Tibi pernah mencetuskan kebimbangan sehingga Pertubuhan Kesihatan Sedunia (WHO) mengisytiharkan 'kecemasan global' pada 1993 dan rekod pihak itu menunjukkan hampir tiga juta penduduk dunia yang menghidap Tibi, maut setiap tahun.
Jika Malaysia mencatatkan hampir 16,000 kes penghidap Tibi baru setiap tahun, WHO mencatatkan hampir lapan juta penghidap baru, setiap tahun serta mendahului carta penyakit berjangkit yang membawa kematian.
Berbanding penduduk Malaysia, pendatang asing di negara ini hanya mencatatkan antara 10 hingga 14 peratus kes jangkitan Tibi.
Petikan: Berita Minggu
6 Ogos 2006
LAGI SEJARAH TB DUNIA & MALAYSIA..
WALAUPUN rawatan perubatan moden untuk penyakit tibi adalah yang paling berkesan dan paling murah untuk sesuatu penyakit yang boleh membawa maut, tibi masih lagi merupakan salah satu punca utama kesengsaraan dan kematian di seluruh dunia.
Tibi adalah suatu penyakit berjangkit. Ia merebak melalui udara dan titisan cecair badan daripada pesakit kepada orang lain. Kuman yang menyebabkan penyakit tibi ialah sejenis bakteria dipanggil Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
* Sejarah
Penyakit tibi diketahui wujud sejak dari tahun 8,000 sebelum Masihi di mana terdapat kesan-kesan penyakit tibi di tulang belakang mumia Firaun.
Pada tahun 460 sebelum Masihi, Hippocrates iaitu bapa perubatan telah menamakan penyakit itu sebagai pthisis.
Ibnu Sina di dalam bukunya Kanun Perubatan mengetahui bahawa tibi diumpamakan sebagai suatu penyakit yang berjangkit.
Pada kurun ke-16, tibi dikenali sebagai consumption. Di Malaysia, pada kurun ke-20 penyakit ini dikenali sebagai “batuk kering”.
Pada tahun 1950an, penyakit tibi merupakan pembunuh utama penduduk di Tanah Melayu (Malaya). Pada tahun 1961, Program Kawalan Tibi Kebangsaan ditubuhkan dan semua pesakit tibi dirujuk ke Pusat Tibi Negara di Jalan Pahang, Kuala Lumpur (sekarang dikenali sebagai Institut Perubatan Respiratori).
Pada kurun ke-19, tibi hampir memusnahkan seluruh Eropah dan Amerika. Tibi pada masa itu juga dipanggil hawar putih untuk menyamakannya dengan penyakit hawar hitam (plague) yang telah meragut banyak nyawa di benua Eropah dan Amerika pada kurun ke-18.
“Musuh” kepada kesengsaraan dan kematian manusia ini telah dikenal pasti oleh seorang ahli sains bernama Robert Koch. Beliau menemui bakteria mycobacterium tuberculosis pada 24 Mac 1883.
Mengambil sempena penemuan bakteria pada tarikh itu, 24 Mac telah dijadikan hari memperingati tibi sedunia pada tiap-tiap tahun.
Penyakit tibi tidak mengenal batasan sama ada kekayaan atau kemasyhuran seseorang. Sebagai contoh, Elanor Roosevelt iaitu bekas wanita pertama Amerika dan George Orwell, pengarang buku pada tahun 1984 telah diserang penyakit tibi. Ahli politik ke ahli falsafah, raja-raja ke orang biasa, pelukis ke paderi, doktor ke ahli muzik, semuanya pernah menghidap atau mati disebabkan oleh penyakit tibi.
* Situasi global
Pertubuhan Kesihatan Sedunia (WHO) meramalkan peningkatan penyakit tibi setiap tahun dan dianggarkan insiden tibi mencecah 12 juta sehingga tahun 2005. Satu pertiga daripada penduduk dunia dijangkiti kuman tibi dan setiap tahun, tibi membunuh hampir dua juta penduduk dunia.
* Tuberkulosis Secara Klinikal
Kuman Mycobacterium tuberculosis merebak melalui udara dan titisan daripada pengidap penyakit tibi aktif.
Selain daripada itu, penyebaran penyakit ini adalah melalui pemakanan di mana pada suatu masa dahulu semasa susu tidak dipasturkan, kuman mycobacterium bovis dari susu lembu diminum dan menyebabkan tibi di bahagian usus. Tibi juga boleh menjangkiti seseorang di kulit secara terus jika terdapat luka yang terbuka di kulit. Walau bagaimanapun cara yang paling biasa ialah melalui udara yang tercemar dan titisan.
Seseorang yang terdedah kepada udara yang tercemar dengan kuman tibi akan menghidu kuman ke dalam saluran pernafasan melalui hidung, mulut, larinks dan kuman boleh hinggap di mana-mana sahaja bahagian tersebut.
Kuman tibi akan melalui salur pernafasan dan menghinggap di bahagian atas paru-paru (selalunya paru-paru sebelah kanan). Seseorang yang mempunyai sistem daya tahan (imuniti) yang baik boleh melawan kuman tibi ini secara semula jadi. Jangkitan kuman tibi kali pertama juga boleh diatasi dengan tidak memakan apa-apa ubat.
Bagi mereka yang sistem daya tahan badannya rendah (immunocompromised/immunosuppressed), mereka tidak terdaya untuk berbuat demikian . Mereka ini boleh mendapat jangkitan yang terus menular ke dalam salur darah dan limfa atau kedua-duanya sekali. Ini dipanggil tibi primer (Primary Tuberculosis).
Bagi mereka dengan sistem imuniti yang baik, mungkin terdapat 20 peratus kuman tibi hidup secara dorman (tidak aktif) di dalam klasifikasi granuloma (calcified granuloma). Jika pada suatu masa sistem daya tahan badan golongan ini terjejas, kuman-kuman yang dorman itu boleh membiak semula secara aktif dan menyebabkan jangkitan tibi aktif semula (reactivation tibi).
Proses yang berlaku ialah pembentukan granuloma, radang paru-paru dan kaviti-kaviti (lubang-lubang) di dalam paru-paru. Kuman tibi membiak secara aktif di dalam kaviti-kaviti sehingga berjuta-juta kuman berkembang dan apabila pesakit batuk, bercakap atau bersin, berjuta-juta kuman dikeluarkan ke udara seterusnya mencemari udara.
* Rawatan
Rawatan tibi melibatkan pengubatan dikenali sebagai Short Course Chemotherapy (SCC) selama enam hingga sembilan bulan.
Pada dua bulan pertama, iaitu dipanggil fasa intensif, pesakit mengambil ubat pada setiap hari. Pada bulan seterusnya, pesakit mengambil ubat dua hingga tiga kali seminggu yang dipanggil continous atau maintenance therapy.
Pemberian ubat adalah secara DOTS (Directly Observed Therapy Short Course). DOTS adalah kaedah rawatan yang mempunyai lima cabang.
Salah satu cabang DOTS ialah pesakit dimestikan memakan (menelan) ubat di hadapan pemberi rawatan atau di hadapan seseorang yang boleh dipercayai seperti anggota kesihatan, ibu, isteri, ketua kampung dan sebagainya.
Buku rawatan mesti ditandatangani. Ini adalah penting kerana rawatan tibi mengambil masa berbulan-bulan dan pesakit mesti dipastikan memakan ubat tanpa putus. Jika tidak, penyakit boleh datang semula dan kemungkinan kuman tibi akan menjadi rentan (membentuk ketahanan) kepada ubat tibi.
Tanda dan Gejala
Apakah gejala batuk kering?
■Batuk berpanjangan selama 2 minggu atau lebih
■Batuk berdarah
■Demam dan berpeluh pada waktu petang atau malam
■Hilang selera makan atau turun berat badan
■Sakit dada semasa batuk atau bernafas secara dalam
■Mudah letih dan lemah
Apakah perlu saya lakukan sekiranya mempunyai tanda-tanda dan gejala tersebut?
Sekiranya ada, anda perlu dapatkan pemeriksaan:
■Ujian kahak yang dilakukan di klinik kesihatan atau hospital
■X-ray dada
Pengesahan penyakit dan rawatan batuk kering terdapat di mana-mana klinik kesihatan dan hospital kerajaan.
Komplikasi
Adakah batuk kering merbahaya?
Sekiranya tidak dikesan, ia boleh merebak ke otak, tulang, kelenjar limfa, buah pinggang dan kulit. Ahli keluarga dan orang berdekatan dengan pesakit adalah dinasihatkan untuk mendapatkan pemeriksaan lanjut.
Rawatan
Adakah batuk kering boleh sembuh dan apa rawatannya?
Ya, ia boleh sembuh. Rawatan batuk kering di Malaysia menggunakan sistem DOTS (Directly Observed Treatment Short course)yang diiktiraf oleh World Health Organization. Ia bermaksud ubat diambil dibawah pengawasan petugas kesihatan dalam tempoh tertentu.
■Rawatan perlu diambil selama 6 bulan
■Ubat hendaklah diambil dibawah pengawasan petugas kesihatan terlatih sepanjang rawatan
■Rawatan harian untuk 2 bulan pertama diikuti 2 kali seminggu selama 4 bulan
■Sekiranya rawatan diikuti sepenuhnya pesakit dapat sembuh
Pencegahan
Bagaimana saya boleh mencegah batuk kering?
Terdapat beberapa cara pencegahan:
i.Suntikan BCG dapat melindungi kanak-kanak daripada batuk kering. Ia diberikan semasa bayi dan murid darjah 1 sekiranya tiada parut suntikan.
ii.Mendapat rawatan segera sekiranya batuk berpanjangan selama 2 minggu atau lebih.
iii.Ahli keluarga dan orang berdekatan dengan pesakit dinasihatkan mendapat pemeriksaan lanjut.
iv.Pastikan rumah anda menerima cahaya matahari secukupnya kerana ia dapat membunuh bakteria di udara.
v.Membuka tingkap rumah untuk pengudaraan yang baik
vi.Amalkan gaya hidup sihat dan pemakanan yang seimbang.
Kumpulan sokongan
■Sila rujuk pejabat kesihatan terdekat untuk sebarang pertanyaan
■The Malaysian Association for The Prevention of TB (MAPTB) atau Persatuan TB Tempatan
Laman web untuk maklumat lanjutan :
•http://www.who.int/tb/en/
•http://www.stoptb.org/
SALAH FAHAM MENGENAI BATUK KERING & PENYAKIT [TB]
SINARIO YANG BOLEH DI KONGSI BERSAMA..?
As'salammualaikum..
Hari nie terdetik di hati aku nak share something dengan u all.. Suatu pengamalam yang sangat mengerikan dalam hidup aku.. Kisahnya begini 3 tahun yang lepas aku pernah mengalami batuk yang berpanjangan.. Dari berminggu sehinggalah berbulan tapi still tak ok.. Ubat batuk jangan cakap la dari ubat yang jenis sirap , pil sehinggalah petua-petua orang lame semuanya aku cuba tapi tetap mengecewakan.Sehinggalah sampai satu tahap tue aku dah mula batuk berdarah..OMG! what happen to me.. Bila dah semakin teruk aku pun pergi la jumpa doktor..Alhamdulillah lega hati bila doktor beritahu aku just batuk biasa je.. Kena kurangkan makanan berminyak , ais batu dan banyakkan minum air suam..
Aku cuba la ikut nasihat doktor tapi batuk aku still berlarutan yang pelik sepanjang aku batuk tak ada sedikit pun mengeluarkan kahak.. Bonda dah semakin risau coz kalau dengar pada bunyi batuk aku nie macam batuk kering.. So atas nasihat keluarga aku dapatkan pula rawatan di hospital.. Tapi malangnya keputusanya tetap sama just batuk biasa.. Orang kata batuk paling lame pun 100 hari tapi kalau dah makan berbulan batuk apa pulak tue...
So bila batuk aku nie dah semakin kerap mengeluarkan darah aku jadi semakin cemas.. Efect juga pada kerja mane taknya bile sekali batuk mesti sakit dada dan nafas pun tercungap-cungap je.. Bila dah tak tahan aku ambil keputusan untuk berubat secara kampung.. Berjumpa la aku dengan seorang ustaz nie yang pernah menetap di Mekah selama berbelas tahun..Apa yang ustaz tue beritahu sangat mengejutkan aku..Ya allah aku kena santau...Aku tak pernah bermusuh mahupun menyakiti hati siapa-siapa pun tapi kenapa aku jadi mangsa ilmu hitam nie..
Bila dah di jelaskan barulah aku faham rupa-rupanya santau yang aku kena nie bukan la di hantar oleh orang tetapi aku tersalah pilih kedai makan..Mungkin orang dengki dengan kedai makan tue jadi pelangganya pun turut terkena tempiasnya.. Alhamdulillah selepas berubat segala darah-darah kotar dalam badan aku dapat di keluarkan dengan cara memuntahkanya.. Selepas pada tue batuk aku beransur-ansur pulih.. Kalau kena pun just batuk-batuk biasa je selepas seminggu dua sembuh la..Tapi ...
Selepas demam hari tue aku mula batuk-batuk balik sehinggalah ke hari nie.. Batuk tidak berkahak dan cuma ada masa-masa je akan batuk.. Aku mula risau takut kejadian lame berulang..Bukan apa menurut kata ustaz tue dulu orang yang terkena santau nie tidak di benarkan memakan makanan yang berbisa seperti nenas , rebung dan cuka tapi baru-baru nie aku ada makan gulai rebung sebab mengidam sangat.. Lepas pada tue batuk aku makin menjadi-jadi tapi nasib baik la tak berdarah.. Makan ubat batuk pun tak berkesan .. aduh risau sangat.. Kalau korang ada pape petua yang dapat menyembuhkan batuk nie please kongsi dengan aku.. SEKIAN CERITA DARI ORANG YANG MUNGKIN SALAH FAHAM MENGENAI PENYAKIT..TB.?
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