1. What is radiation? What are the effects of radiation on the body?
~ Radiation is energy that comes from a source and travels through space at the speed of light. This energy
has an electric field and a magnetic field associated with it, and has wave-like properties. You could also
call radiation “electromagnetic waves”. Scientists have been studying the effects of radiation for over 100
years; so we know quite a bit about how radiation interacts with living tissue, and its effect on the body
because we can measure radiation and because we understand its health effects, we can work safely
around it. Radiation can damage the DNA in our cells, high doses of radiation can cause Acute Radiation
Syndrome (ARS) or Cutaneous Radiation Injuries (CRI) and also high doses of radiation could also lead to
cancer later in life.
LINK:
https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/radiation/what_is.html
2. How does the body protect itself against radiation? How is radiation sickness treated?
~ One of the best ways to be prepared is to understand the radiation protection principles of time, distance
and shielding. During a radiological emergency (a large release of radioactive material into the
environment), we can use these principles to help protect ourselves and our families. Time, distance, and
shielding actions minimize your exposure to radiation in much the same way as they would to protect you
against overexposure to the sun. Damage by radiation is irreversible. Once the cells are damaged, they do
not repair themselves. Until now, there is no way for medicine to do this, so it is important for someone
who has been exposed to seek medical help as soon as possible.
Possible treatments include:
Removing all clothing,
Rinsing with water and soap.
Use of potassium iodide (KI) to block thyroid uptake if a person inhales or swallows too much
radioiodine
Prussian blue, given in capsules, can trap cesium and thallium in the intestines and prevent them
from being absorbed. This allows them to move through the digestive system and leave he body in
bowel movements.
Filgrastim, or Neupogen, stimulates the growth of white blood cells. This can help if radiation has
affected the bone marrow.
Depending on exposure, radiation can affect the whole body. For cardiovascular, intestinal, and other
problems, treatment will target the symptoms.
LINK:
https://www.epa.gov/radiation/protecting-yourself-radiation
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/219615
3. How is radiation used in the field of medicine? Give examples and explain their significance.
~ Radioactive materials can be helpful to diagnose and treat illnesses or in medical research. The Nuclear
Regulatory Commission regulates these uses. NRC rules aim to ensure radioactive materials are used
properly and in a way that protects patients, medical workers, the public and the environment. About one-
third of all patients admitted to hospitals are diagnosed or treated using radiation or radioactive materials.
This branch of medicine is called nuclear medicine. The radioactive materials used are called
radiopharmaceuticals. For diagnosis, a small amount of material is injected, inhaled or swallowed. The
material collects in the area being studied, where it emits photons. These photons can be seen by a device
known as a gamma camera. Images from the camera can show the organ's function and composition. They
can help physicians find, identify and measure tumors, or view problems in an organ. For example,
technetium-99m is used to diagnose bone, heart or other organ problems. Radioactive iodine is used in
imaging the thyroid gland. For therapy, radioactive materials are used to kill cancerous tissue, shrink a
tumor or reduce pain. Nuclear medicine procedures help detect and treat diseases by using a small amount
of radioactive material, called a radiopharmaceutical. Some radiopharmaceuticals are used with imaging
equipment to detect diseases. Radiopharmaceuticals can also be placed inside the body near a cancerous
tumor to shrink or destroy it.
LINK:
https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fact-sheets/med-use-radioactive-materials.html
https://www.epa.gov/radtown/radiation-used-nuclear-medicine#:~:text=Nuclear%20medicine
%20procedures%20help%20detect,to%20shrink%20or%20destroy%20it.
