Radiation is a frightening concept. It has lead to many an untimely death in the past 70 years, ranging from victims of atomic bombs in Japan to physiologists experimenting without taking proper safety precautions. The most dangerous form of radiation can be devastating to the body, weakening or eliminating the immune system and tearing the very DNA in one’s cells apart. This form is referred to as ionizing radiation, and even the least harmful potencies - such as x-rays and UV light - can increase the risk of cancer and other health problems. It has enough energy to knock electrons out of atoms in a process called ionization. To have a better idea of how much radiation a human can take, one must first understand how radiation is measured. The standard unit for measuring doses of these energy waves is called sieverts. However, a dose of one-half to a single sievert will often cause radiation sickness, so lower, more tolerable amounts are measured in millisieverts (one thousand of which make a single sievert) and microsieverts (one million of which make a single sievert). To put these measurements into perspective, a standard chest x-ray exposes a person to about 20 microsieverts of radiation - a dose that is entirely tolerable. The EPA’s yearly limit on the amount of radiation that a member of the public can be exposed to in the course of a year is a single millisievert - the equivalent of 50 standard chest x-rays. The symptoms of radiation poisoning - or Acute Radiation Syndrome - vary depending on the dosage of radiation that a person has received. If someone is exposed to 400 mSv of radiation in a short amount of time, it is very likely that they will begin to experience these symptoms. The person may find themselves afflict... ... middle of paper ... ...ny human. Upon leaving the building, Slotin vomited. This was a common reaction. His colleagues rushed him to the hospital, but it was far too late. Irreversible damage had already been done. Over the course of the next nine days, Slotin suffered severe diarrhea, reduced urine output, swollen hands, massive blisters, and paralysis, among other things. Even with advanced treatments that we have today, like bone marrow transplants, Slotin would not have survived. The damage done to each of his cells on a molecular scale was far too great. Slotin died on May 30, 1946. This unfortunate mishap demonstrates the dangers of radiation and the effects of exposure to high-energy particles and waves on the body. A single burst of radioactive energy can displace electrons within our very cells and make them incapable of working properly, leading to sickness and eventually death.
the effective doses from diagnostic CT procedures are typically estimated to be in the range of 1 to 10 mSv. This range is not much less than the lowest doses of 5 to 20 mSv estimated to have been received by some of the Japanese survivors of the atomic bombs. These survivors, who are estimated to have experienced doses slightly larger than those encountered in CT, have demonstrated a small but increased radiation-related excess relative risk for
The experiment accidents killed thousands of people and damaged the town they were living in. Some people doesn’t was to move from that place because they stated that their parents raised them here and it is a priority to live here. The explosions were really big and they destroyed the whole area. The people who were involved in this test didn’t know what they were doing until, it slowly killed them. Many scientists have died because of cancer and other diseases of the cause of radioactive surroundings that they are involved in during experiments.
There are essentially three main types of cancer treatments; surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. Surgery allows doctors to effectively remove tumors from a clear plane. Chemotherapy uses drugs to treat the tumor; but often the drugs affect other healthy cells in the process. Using radiation as a treatment can be either precise or vague. Many health stigmas can come from the vague forms of radiation or conventional radiation therapy. Conventional radiation treats both the unhealthy and healthy cells, therefore exposing healthy cells to harmful radiation (Radiation Oncology, 2011, p.6). When healthy cells are exposed to gamma radiation they are also exposed to ionizing radiation. The ionization can cause “breakage of chemical bonds or oxidization (addition of oxygen atoms)” in a cell; the main impact of this is on a cell’s DNA, if two strands of DNA break it can result in “mutations, chromosome aberrations, ...
For decades, the effects of radiation has been studied by doctors around the world. X-rays are used in the medical and dental field to take radiographs of certain parts of a person's body. Some have become concerned of the long term and short term effects of having x-rays taken because of the radiation that is exposed. Since the rise of concern, studies have been done to find any type of link between cancer and radiation from x-rays. Specifically, in dental x-rays, researchers have been performing studies trying to prove that radiation from x-rays in the dental office can cause cancer .
Radiation is something that the naked eye cannot see, yet has the potential to save lives one treatment at a time or even one image at a time. Since the discovery of x-rays in 1895, it has branched out into numerous modalities each independently specializing in their own ways. X rays are used to aid in the diagnosis and treatments of patients on a case by case scenario. Sometimes doctors can make a diagnosis on the same day or conclude that a patient will require radiation therapy within weeks to follow. Whatever it may be, the importance of x rays and radiation itself is a crucial part of the medical field when it comes to saving lives. Initially it all started with the discovery of x rays but then three years later radiation therapy was introduced to aid with
Gale, R. (2011). If the unlikely becomes likely: Medical response to nuclear accidents. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, 67(2), 10.
Radiation has always been in everyday life even before Roentgen discovered x-ray. The mountains give off natural radiation, other forms of radiation are coal burning power plants, x-rays from a TV, and an airplane ride. The average dose from background radiation is about 360 mrem every year. There are two types of radiation, nonionizing and ionizing radiation. Examples of nonionizing radiation are microwaves and radio waves broadcasting. Ionizing radiation refers to gamma and x-rays. Ionizing radiation means that the rays are able to remove an electron from the atom then ions can be formed. The ions can cause damage when reacting with other atoms. Cells are able to be repaired if low dose are received. However, if cells get a high dose, the cells will be damaged or possibly die. If the cell is damaged permanently then it is referred to as a mutated cell.
Radiation affect almost everyone at the time. Radiation happened almost instantly, causing people to get radiation sickness. Surviving radiation sickness took several years, but several died with various reasons. 107 people with radiation got thyroid cases. Survivors died to for various reasons, large fraction attributed to radioiodine intake. Though radiation exposure was associated among children.
We are exposed to small and non-lethal doses of radiation everyday. The type of radiation that is very lethal to humans and all other life is gamma radiation. This type of radiation, if you are exposed to it, alters the molecular structure of your DNA and can lead to mutations in your offspring and can lead to diseases like cancer. Alpha and Beta particles are usually deflected by your skin and they aren’t as harmful. Alpha, Beta and Gamma radiation are types of ionizing radiation which means they can remove the electrons in the atoms of your cells, which can cause cells to mutate. Radiation is can be useful in our everyday lives. It is used in X-ray machines to look at the bones inside your body and a lead vest is put around you to protect you from the radiation so you are not fully exposed to it.
The biological effects of radiation play a key role in today’s society and it is something that all species have to deal with on a day-to-day basis. Throughout time, this field of study has grown and has become one of the most prominent fields of science. Radiation is something that we as a human race will never be able to escape. It is naturally present and has been since planet Earth was formed. In the mid 19th Century, there were two famous scientists that are known for their exquisite contributions to the study of radioactivity. Pierre and Marie Curie were a husband-wife duo that both studied at the Sorbonne. While at Sorbonne, they studied the properties of thorium and uranium and soon stumbled upon and discovered the element polonium. Pierre then decided to study magnetism at high temperatures. Marie proceeded to study in both chemistry and physics and received Nobel Awards in both fields. She is the only person in history to do this. The “curie” is a unit of measure that scientists use to this day in radiation studies. These two were not...
Nuclear phenomena has made an outstanding influence on our lives, but the usage of nuclear physics to treat what had been deemed untreatable before is just one of the many examples of modern physics being used to improve the daily lives of people everywhere. As the use of nuclear phenomena in treatments becomes more and more sophisticated through the combined efforts of biomedical engineers and physicists, other usage and new treatments ideas crop up, helping improve medical treatments and eventually, being effective enough to completely cure people from malignant tumors, cancerous tumors, lesions, and other afflictions. Although the usage of nuclear radiation in medicine has many positive facets the controversy that inevitably follows with any use of nuclear phenomena has been a major setback for nuclear medicine.
In conclusion, there are many reasons why radioactivity can be lethal, as mentioned before. Radioactivity is an amazing breakthrough; it has shaped our society in many ways. But personally, I believe, the negative factors still outweigh the positive factors. Excessive exposure to radiation can cause people to be poisoned by ‘radiation sickness’. Many symptoms of radiation sickness occur as ionizing radiation interferes with cell division. This interference is also the cause of the most feared disease, cancer. Generally, I believe society should not continue relying on radioactivity. Radiation is something that is fragile and has the potential to bring great harm if misused.
As atomic power is increasingly recognized as a potential energy source to sustain future human development, radiological protection of the environment will become an even more important environmental safety concern (ICRP 2003). In the past decades, scientific and regulatory activities related to radiation protection has been focused on the radiation exposure on humans. The prevailing view has been shown that, if humans were adequately protecte...
One of the greatest events of twentieth century was the use of radioisotope as a source of energy and as medical and industrial tools. Using radioactivity has been a global issue owing to its very nature. When it is used for peaceful purposes, it is a triumph of science because it can solve energy problems in the form of nuclear energy but the side effects in the form of harmful radiation and harmful radioactive waste is the real limitations of science. This essay will attempt to analyze the application of science in the use of radioactivity and radioactive isotopes and how science is not so effective in dealing with the side effects.
Heat and x-rays are an example of radiation. A type of non-ionizing radiation is radiofrequency radiation. (Cancer 1) If radiofrequency radiation is engrossed in large amounts of materials containing water and food it can produce heat. This can lead to burns, tissue damage, and harm DNA cells. Heat is the main effect of exposure to radiofrequency. (Cancer 2)