ABSTRACT
Blood-borne toxins, that is, substances circulating within the bloodstream causing adverse side effects, can originate from various sources. For example, ingestion of biohazards can occur with the intake of contaminated food, while other toxins penetrate through the skin or are readily taken up by the lungs via inhalation of particulates. There are also less frequent but more extreme potential cases of toxin releases such as from biological and chemical weapons of mass destruction. Of importance, the recent events at the Fukushima reactor in Japan highlight1 the potential for mass release and exposure of civilians to radiological toxins. Similarly, the weaponised release of radiological toxins via a radiological dispersal device (so-called dirty bomb) or detonation of an improvised nuclear weapon could present an insurmountable triage setting with hospitals lacking sufšcient methods of treating internalised radiological contaminations.
