Ionizing radiation, from sources like cosmic rays and nuclear decay, can cause damage to the body’s cells and DNA, leading to cancer or death. Protective measures are in place in industries like nuclear power plants and hospitals to prevent exposure.
There are many effects of ionizing radiation depending on the dose you receive. Ionizing radiation is waves or particles that cause the atoms they strike to lose their electrons, ionizing the atoms. This process can have a detrimental effect on living organisms, as ionized atoms, also known as free radicals, damage the human body at a genetic level. Depending on the dose, the effects of ionizing radiation can range from no obvious symptoms to cancer. Because ionizing radiation is a problem in many industries, there are various regulations and protective measures in place to protect employees.
The primary sources of ionizing radiation are cosmic rays, nuclear fusion, nuclear fission and radioactive decay. Each of these sources can produce one of three main types of ionizing radiation: alpha, beta and gamma. Alpha is the least harmful while gamma, produced in large quantities during a nuclear explosion, is the most harmful. Many safety measures are needed to protect yourself from gamma radiation. That’s not to say, however, that a massive dose of alpha or beta radiation wouldn’t harm a person.
The effects of ionizing radiation begin at the cellular level. Upon exposure, free radicals travel through the body at lightning speed. It is in the cell nucleus, the storage area for an organism’s genetic material, where the bombardment does the most damage. If a strand of DNA receives a small amount of damage, the DNA can repair itself. Add a little more damage and the cell will self-destruct so as not to cause further damage to the organism.
The effects of ionizing radiation become a problem when the cell is damaged to such an extent that its self-destruct mechanism no longer works. In animals, a cell can become the seed of a malignant cancer. Higher doses of ionizing radiation can cause various cancers to develop throughout the body. The most extreme effects occur when an animal receives a lethal dose of ionizing radiation. Rapidly dividing cells such as those found in the bone marrow and gastrointestinal lining die off en masse from their damaged DNA; death is almost certain.
Industries whose employees are at risk from the effects of ionizing radiation generally have protective policies and measures in place to prevent exposure. For example, nuclear power plants and nuclear research laboratories have both lead and graphite shielding to protect engineers from radioactive materials. These facilities also have radiation detectors that can quickly alert employees to radiation leaks. Most hospitals with X-ray laboratories have the same security measures in place. In commercial aviation, many airlines prevent pregnant women from acting as part of a flight crew due to increased levels of ionizing radiation found in the upper atmosphere.
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