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Radiation poisoning, also called "radiation sickness", is a form of damage to organic 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. Many of the symptoms of radiation poisoning occur as ionizing radiation interferes with cell division. This interference causes particular problems for otherwise normally rapidly dividing cells, such as those lining the gastrointestinal tract.The rad is a unit of absorbed radiation dose in terms of the energy actually deposited in the tissue. The rad is defined as an absorbed dose of 0.01 joules of energy per kilogram of tissue. The more recent SI unit is the Gray, which is defined as 1 joule of deposited energy per kilogram of tissue. To assess the risk of radiation, the absorbed dose is multiplied by the relative biological effectiveness of the radiation to get the biological dose equivalent in rems or Sieverts (Sv).
The biologically effective dose in rems is the radiation dose in rads multiplied by a "quality factor", which is an assessment of the effectiveness of that particular type and energy of radiation. For alpha particles the relative biological effectiveness (RBE) may be as high as 20, so that one rad is equivalent to 20 rems. However, for x-rays and gamma rays, the RBE is taken as one so that the rad and rem are equivalent for those radiation sources. The Sievert is equal to 100 rems.
1 Symptoms and Effects
The symptoms of radiation sickness become more serious (and the chance of survival decreases) as the dosage of radiation increases. Prolonged exposure to radiation can cause cancer. Ironically, the ability of radiation to disturb cell division is also used to treat cancer (see radiotherapy), and low levels of ionizing radiation have been shown to lower one's risk of cancer (see hormesis).
Radiation poisoning can result from accidental exposure to natural or industrial radiation sources. People working with radioactive materials often wear film "badges" or other dosimeters to monitor their total exposure to radiation. These devices are more apropos than Geiger counterA Geiger counter measures ionizing radiation. Geiger counters can detect photons, alpha, beta, and gamma radiation, but not neutrons. The sensor is a Geiger-Muller tube, a gas-filled tube that briefly conducts electricity when a particle or photon of radis for determining biological effects, as they measure cumulative exposure over time, and are calibrated to change color or otherwise signal the user before exposure reaches unsafe levels.
Radiation caused illness and death after the bombings of HiroshimaFor the town that was formerly named Hiroshima in Hokkaido, see Kitahiroshima. Hiroshima City (; -shi) is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chugoku region of western Japan. It is best known throughout the world as the first and Nagasaki in about 1% of those exposed who survived the initial explosions. The casualty rate due to radiation was higher in Hiroshima, because although Fat ManThe nuclear weapon nicknamed Fat Man was detonated over Nagasaki, Japan, on August 9, 1945. It was the second and, so far, the last known nuclear weapon to be used in assault. The 10-foot 8-inch (3. 25 metres) long, five-foot (1. 52 metres) diameter, 10,0 (the bomb used at Nagasaki) had a higher yield than Little BoyLittle Boy was the codename given to the nuclear weapon dropped on Hiroshima, Japan on Monday, August 6, 1945. Little Boy was dropped from a B-29 Superfortress, the Enola Gay piloted by Lt. Paul Tibbets, from about 31,000 feet (9450 m). The device explode (the bomb used at Hiroshima), Fat Man was a plutoniumPlutonium is a radioactive, metallic, chemical element. It has the symbol Pu and the atomic number 94. Its atomic weight is 244. 06, its density 19,800 kg/m3. It is the element used in most modern nuclear weapons. The most important isotope of plutonium i weapon, which is much less radioactive than a uraniumUranium is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol U and atomic number 92. A heavy, silvery-white, toxic, metallic , and naturally- radioactive element, uranium belongs to the actinide series and its isotope uranium-235 is used as the weapon of equal yield (except at the moment of critical mass). Both bombs were airbursted, minimizing falloutFallout may refer to Nuclear fallout Fallout (computer game). (which would have killed many more).
Radiation poisoning also continues to be a major concern after the Chernobyl reactor accident. Of the 100 million Curies of radioactive material, the radioactive xenon-133 and iodine-131 Chernobyl released were the most dangerous. Thirty-one people died as a direct result of the Chernobyl accident.
