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Radiation can have harmful effects on solid materials as it can degrade their properties so that they are no longer mechanically sound. This is of special concern as it can greatly affect their ability to perform in nuclear reactors and is the emphasis of radiation material science , which seeks to mitigate this danger.
Radiation tests in model organisms that determine the effects of high radiation on animals and plants are: [18] Chromosomal aberrations. DNA damage. Cancer, particularly leukemia. [2] Leukopenia. Growth reduction. Reproductive deficiencies: sterility, reduction in fecundity, and occurrence of developmental abnormalities or reduction in ...
Radiation reaching a plant contains entropy as well as energy, and combining those two concepts the exergy can be determined. This sort of analysis is known as exergy analysis or second law analysis, and the exergy represents a measure of the useful work, i.e., the useful part of radiation which can be transformed into other forms of energy.
These particles were potentially hazardous, even in low-level radiation areas. [10] The radioactive level in each individual hot particle could rise as high as 10 kBq, which is a fairly high dosage of radiation. [10] These liquid hot particle droplets could be absorbed in two main ways; ingestion through food or water, and inhalation. [10]
The level of health risk is dependent on duration and the type and strength of irradiation. Penetrating radiation such as gamma rays, X-rays, neutrons or beta particles pose the greatest risk from an external source. Low penetrating radiation such as alpha particles have a low external risk due to the shielding effect of the top layers of skin.
The effects of ionizing radiation on plants and trees in particular depends on factors that include climatic conditions, the mechanism of radiation deposition, and the soil type. Altitude, soil disturbance, and biological activity are also factors that influence the amount of radioisotopes in soil. [ 34 ]
Some of the mutations produced thereby have turned out to be useful. Typically this is gamma radiation – in which case it is a gamma garden [1] – produced by cobalt-60. [2] The practice of plant irradiation has resulted in the development of more than 2,000 new varieties of plants, most of which are now used in agricultural production. [3]
In a working mine, the radon level can be controlled by ventilation, sealing off old workings and controlling the water in the mine. The level in a mine can go up when a mine is abandoned; it can reach a level which can cause the skin to become red (a mild radiation burn). The radon levels in some of the mines can reach 400 to 700 kBq m −3. [17]