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Errrrrrr what has this got to do with your lungs? In any case, didnt she say that 500 was enough to die a slow, quiet death or something like that.
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It has a ton to do with your lungs/internal organs.
If you breath in fallout (radioactive dust), it then sits in your body for a long period of time. This is the reason during the cold war some bombs were specifically designed to explode at the optimum altitude to introduce as much dust into the atmosphere as possible. (some were designed the opposite of course)
If radioactive fallout gets on your skin (pretend you don't breath or swallow it for a minute), it's not nearly as bad as you can literally wash it off. Then you are only exposed for the amount of time it takes you to get your chemical bath. (this of course may still be lethal depending on the radioactivity of whatever substance is on you, but is far less likely to be).
The certain iodine compound among others I don't know of, helps to pass radiation through your body. From my understanding, taking these chemicals after being exposed basically "attracts" some radioactive isotopes to a "sold" compount, where it can then be cleaned from your body via normal waste-disposal means (liver, kidney, whatever..). That's why back after 9/11 you got spam for whatever iodine compound this is.
It's obviously not too terribly effective, but an old method of treating radiation sickness.
Shrug.. this is of course all my understanding. I could be wrong on some things, as real good specific non-technical explanation of the TRUE effects of radiation are somewhat hard to come by. There is LOTS of FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt) spread about radiation, which I hope goes away in my lifetime. I would have taken that ride any day of the week, and hopefully someday maybe I'll be able to..
-Phil