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This is due to radiation from contamination located outside the human body. The source can be in the vicinity of the body or can be on the skin surface. The level of health risk is dependent on duration and the type and strength of irradiation.
Alpha particles are identical with helium-4 nuclei. Alpha particles travel short distances in air, of only 2–3 cm, and cannot penetrate through a dead layer of skin on the human body. However, some radium alpha particle emitters are "bone seekers" due to radium possessing a high affinity for chloride ions.
The human body contains many types of cells and a human can be killed by the loss of a single type of cells in a vital organ. For many short term radiation deaths (3–30 days), the loss of two important types of cells that are constantly being regenerated causes death.
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.
Radiation damage is the effect of ionizing radiation on physical objects including non-living structural materials. It can be either detrimental or beneficial for materials. Radiobiology is the study of the action of ionizing radiation on living things, including the health effects of radiation in humans.
Exposure can be from a source of radiation external to the human body or due to internal irradiation caused by the ingestion of radioactive contamination. Ionizing radiation is widely used in industry and medicine, and can present a significant health hazard by causing microscopic damage to living tissue.
Radiolysis is the dissociation of molecules by ionizing radiation.It is the cleavage of one or several chemical bonds resulting from exposure to high-energy flux.The radiation in this context is associated with ionizing radiation; radiolysis is therefore distinguished from, for example, photolysis of the Cl 2 molecule into two Cl-radicals, where (ultraviolet or visible spectrum) light is used.
The main source of radiation in the human body is potassium-40 (40 K), typically 17 milligrams in the body at a time and 0.4 milligrams/day intake. [28] Most rocks, especially granite , have a low level of radioactivity due to the potassium-40, thorium and uranium contained.