How the Harmful Effects of Radiation can Affect

Human Health

Layal K.JambiEUS2, University of SurreyMarch 2012

Out Line

•History of Radiation•What is exposure? •What is Radiation? •Effects of Radiation

•Radiation Protection

History of Radiation

•Since the 1900s, expert scientists have been aware of beneficial as well as the possibility of the harmful effects of ionizing radiation

•By using the knowledge of radiation hazards:–Radium-dial printers.

–Uranium miners.–Early medical radiation workers.–Japanese atomic bomb survivor.

–Evacuees from Chernobyl nuclear power station disaster

Exposure

•The actual process of humans being exposed to radiation or radioactive material

Radiation

•Transfer of energy that result either because of a change occurring naturally within an atom (e.g. radioactive decay) or a process caused by the

interaction of a particle with an atom

Ionizing Radiation

•When radiation passes through matter it produces positively and negatively charged particles (ions).

Sources of Ionizing Radiation

Effects of Radiation

Chain of Events Following Exposure to Ionizing Radiation

Biological Effects

Radiation Protection

•Limit and minimize the risk for people and environment generated by the use of ionizing radiation, as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA)

References

•Harbison, S & Martin, A. (2006). An Introduction to Radiation Protection. 5th

Ed. London: Hodder Arnold.

•IAEA. (2007). Safety Standards for Protecting People and Environment.

Vienna: IAEA.

•Kron, T & Trapp J. (2008). An Introduction to Radiation Protection in

Medicine. New York: Taylor & Francis Group.

•Maguire, G & Noz, M. (2007). Radiation Protection in the Health Care.

London: World Scientific.

•Martin, C & Sutton, D. (2002). Practical Radiation Protection in Health Care.

Oxford: Oxford University Press.

•Ritenour, E & Sherer, M & Visconti, P. (2011). Radiation Protection in Medical

Radiography. 6th Ed. UK: Mosby Elsevier