Several factors are involved in determining the potential health effects of exposure to radiation. These include:. The most important factor is the amount of the dose - the amount of energy actually deposited in your body. The more energy absorbed by cells, the greater the biological damage. Health physicists refer to the amount of energy absorbed by the body as the radiation dose. The absorbed dose, the amount of energy absorbed per gram of body tissue, is usually measured in units called rads.
Another unit of radation is the rem, or roentgen equivalent in man. To convert rads to rems, the number of rads is multiplied by a number that reflects the potential for damage caused by a type of radiation. For beta, gamma and X-ray radiation, this number is generally one.
For some neutrons, protons, or alpha particles, the number is twenty. In one unfortunate accident in , cancer patients receiving radiation treatments at the Clinic of Zaragoza, in Spain, were blasted with a high dose of radiation during therapy — up to seven times higher than the appropriate dose, thanks to faulty machinery. In all, 27 patients were irradiated, causing damage to their skin and internal organs. Radiation is a powerful force — able to kill and to save lives.
When radiation kills, it can be disastrous — but these disasters have also taught us to be careful with this powerful phenomenon. Register or Log In. The Magazine Shop. Login Register Stay Curious Subscribe. Newsletter Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news. Sign Up. Already a subscriber?
Want more? More From Discover. Recommendations From Our Store. Stay Curious. View our privacy policy. Receiving a one-sievert dose of radiation in a day is enough to make you feel ill, according to Dedon. And above ten, they just call that incapacitation and death. Republicans and Democrats have both made appearances in Glasgow for the giant climate conference. The quasar J is 13 billion light-years away from Earth. But it still can reveal a lot about our own universe.
Brighstoneus simmondsi has a big lump around the nostrils, like a chunky alligator. Sign up to receive Popular Science's emails and get the highlights. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work.
Health effects of ionising radiation Dose range Effects on human health including the unborn child Up to 10 mSv No direct evidence of human health effects 10 - mSv No early effects; increased incidence of certain cancers in exposed populations at higher doses - 10, mSv Radiation sickness risk of death ; increased incidence of certain cancers in exposed populations Above 10, mSv Fatal Source: ARPANSA.
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