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Radiation poisoning, also called "radiation sickness" or a "creeping dose", is a form of damage to organ tissue due to excessive exposure to ionizing radiation. The term is generally used to refer to acute problems caused by a large dosage of radiation in a short period, though this also has occurred with long-term exposure to low-level radiation.
Alpha and beta radiation have low penetrating power and are unlikely to affect vital internal organs from outside the body. Any type of ionizing radiation can cause burns, but alpha and beta radiation can only do so if radioactive contamination or nuclear fallout is deposited on the individual's skin or clothing.
A nuclear and radiation accident is defined by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as "an event that has led to significant consequences to people, the environment or the facility." Examples include lethal effects to individuals , large radioactivity release to the environment, or a reactor core melt . [ 6 ]
Exposure to radiation causes chemical changes in gases. The least susceptible to damage are noble gases , where the major concern is the nuclear transmutation with follow-up chemical reactions of the nuclear reaction products.
Radioactive contamination, also called radiological pollution, is the deposition of, or presence of radioactive substances on surfaces or within solids, liquids, or gases (including the human body), where their presence is unintended or undesirable (from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) definition).
There is a threshold dose which causes clinical radiation damage of cells in the body. [5] As the dose increases, the severity of injury increases. [5] This also impairs tissue recovery. [5] The IRCP also describes how cancer develops following radiation exposure. [5] This happens via DNA damage response processes. [5]
New findings released from 2021 contamination incident at plant near Richland, WA.
Exposure to radioactive waste may cause health impacts due to ionizing radiation exposure. In humans, a dose of 1 sievert carries a 5.5% risk of developing cancer, [7] and regulatory agencies assume the risk is linearly proportional to dose even for low doses. Ionizing radiation can cause deletions in chromosomes. [8]