Module 2 Health and Medical Effects

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Module 2Health and Medical Effects
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Health and Medical Effects

• Terminal Objective
• DESCRIBE the indicators, signs, and symptoms of
  exposure to radiation.

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Health and Medical Effects

• Enabling Objectives
• LIST the major sources of natural background and
  man-made radiation.
• STATE the average annual dose to the general
  population from natural background and man-made
  sources of radiation.
• DESCRIBE the purposes of radiation dose limits
  and the guidance for emergency doses.

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Health and Medical Effects

• Enabling Objectives (continued)
• DESCRIBE acute radiation dose and chronic
  radiation dose and the possible effects of each.
• STATE the routes of entry by which radioactive
  material can enter the body.

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Sources of Natural Background Radiation

• Sources in the Human Body

• Cosmic Radiation

• Sources in the Earths Crust

• Radon

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Cosmic Radiation

• Cosmic radiation comes from the sun and outer
  space.
• At sea level, the average annual cosmic radiation
  dose is about 26 mrem per year.
• The higher the elevation, the higher the dose of
  cosmic radiation.
• The exposure increases about 1 mrem per year for
  every 100 feet up in altitude.

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Terrestrial Radiation

• Sources in the Earths Crust
• Ground, rocks, soil, and sand
• Sources natural radioactive elements of radium,
  uranium, thorium, and potassium

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Terrestrial Radiation average in continental
U.S. 28 mrem per year
Terrestrial Radiation average in continental US
28 mrem per year
75 55 40 15
mrem per year
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Internal Sources of Natural Background Radiation

• Sources in the human body
• Food and water in trace amounts
• Naturally occurring radioactive materials
  deposited in our bodies
• Combined exposure from internal sources
  radioactive dose of about 40 mrem per year

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Radon

• (Gas) formed from the radioactive decay of
  uranium in the soil
• Can collect in basements
• Emits alpha radiation

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Man-Made Sources of Radiation

• Tobacco products
• Medical radiation
• Building materials
• Domestic water supply

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Sources of Radiation
NATURAL BACKGROUND mrem/year Cosmic
Radiation 26 Terrestrial (Earths
crust) 28 Internal Sources (body) 40 Radon
200
MAN-MADE SOURCES mrem/year Smoking
(Tobacco Products) 1300 Medical X-rays
40 Medical Diagnosis and Therapy 14 Building
Materials 7 Domestic Water Supply 5
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Sources of Radiation
Total of natural background and man-made sources
for the average American (non-smoker) 360 mrem
per year
(about 1 mrem per day)
Average due to smoking cigarettes (1 pack a
day) 1300 mrem per year
(about 3 mrem per pack)
Round-trip airline flight across the U.S. about
5 mrem
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Other Minor Contributors of Radiation

• Atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons
• Consumer products
• Industrial causes

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Biological Effects
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Effects of Radiation on Cells

• Atoms
• Molecules
• Cells
• Tissues and Organs
• Body

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Effects of Radiation on Cells (cont.)

• Some cells are more sensitive
• Blood
• Cells that form sperm
• Intestinal tract
• Hair follicles

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Effects on Cells Exposed to Ionizing Radiation

• No damage
• Repair and operate normally
• Damaged and operate abnormally
• Cells die

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Biological Pathways
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Acute vs. Chronic Radiation Doses

• Chronic
• Small doses
• Long time

• Acute
• Large dose
• Short time

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Acute Radiation Dose

• Exposure to high doses of radiation over a short
  period of time

(minutes, hours, days)
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Biological Effects of Radiation Exposure

• Damage in exposed individual
• No proven cases of genetic damage to humans
  passed on to future children
• Survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki genetic
  mutations in their children no higher than the
  general population

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Factors Affecting Cell Damage

• Total dose
• Dose rate
• Type of radiation
• Area of the body
• Cell sensitivity
• Individual sensitivity
• General state of health

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Acute Radiation EffectsDose

• Less than 50,000 mrem
• No symptoms
• Between 50,000 and 100,000 mrem
• Temporary lowering of white cell count
• Between 100,000 and 200,000 mrem
• Hours Later Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
• No permanent disability

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Acute Radiation EffectsDose (continued)

• Between 200,000 and 450,000 mrem
• Vomiting, diarrhea, hair loss
• 200,000 mrem lethal for 5 people in 60 days
• 450,000 mrem
• Lethal Dose 50 in 60 days LD50/60
• 600,000 mrem
• Death for most people

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Radiation Burns
Bronze-coloring, tanning of the skin
Cloth
Red-coloring, Swelling, Blistering
Chernobyl Firefighter
Victim from the country of Georgia
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Radiation Burns Gamma and Beta Radiation
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Beta Burns from Contamination
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Beta Burns on Foot
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Beta Burns from Radioactive Fallout

Healing Skin, 30 Days after Burn
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Purpura (bleeding under the skin)
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Hair Loss
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Casualties from a Nuclear Detonation
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Effects of Nuclear Detonation

• Thermal (flash) injuries from thermal pulse
• Shock wave injuries, collapsed buildings
• Radiation burns and sickness
• Injuries from fires
• External/internal contamination
• Long-term effects

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Eye Injury from Nuclear Blast
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Thermal Pulse Injury from Nuclear Blast
Flash Burns
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Genetic Damage

• No proven cases of genetic damage to humans
  passed on to future children
• Survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki medically
  studied. Genetic mutations in their children no
  higher than the general population

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Acute Exposure and Fatal Cancer
Dose (mrem) Percent
1,000 0.08
5,000 0.4
10,000 0.8
25,000 2.0
50,000 4.0
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Fatal Cancer Risk Estimates (Example)

• 10,000 mrem dose extra 0.8
• 1,000 survivors receive 10,000 mrem estimated 8
  extra cancer deaths
• 200 cancer deaths from other causes
• 208 total cancer deaths

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Chronic Radiation Dose Risks

• A small amount of ionizing radiation received
  over a long period of time (months, years)
• Small increase in cancer risk

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Potential Effects of Chronic Radiation Dose

• Biological effects from chronic doses of
  radiation may occur in

• Exposed individual
• Future children of the exposed individual

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Risk in Perspective

• Somatic health effects (primarily cancer)
  observed only at doses more than 10,000 mrem
• Risk below this dose is speculative

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Estimated Loss of Life Expectancy from Health
Risks

• Estimated Days Lost
• Smoking one pack a day 2250
• Being 25 overweight 777
• Agricultural accidents 320
• Construction accidents 227
• Automobile accidents 207
• Chronic Radiation (1000 mrem per year from 18 to
  65) 51
• All industry 50
• Chronic Radiation (100 mrem per year for 70
  years) 10
• Medical radiation 6

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EPA Guidelines for Emergency Procedures
Dose Limit Maximum radiation dose that a
responder is allowed to receive. Purpose of Dose
Limit Allow responders to perform emergency
actions, yet keep risk as low as possible
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EPA Guidelines for Emergency Procedures
(expected only once in a lifetime)
Dose limit Emergency Activity Performed Condition
5,000 mrem All activities All activities during emergency
10,000 mrem Protecting major property Where lower dose not practicable
25,000 mrem Lifesaving or protection of large populations Where lower dose not practicable
More than 25,000 mrem Lifesaving or protection of large populations Only on a volunteer basis to persons fully aware of the risks involved.
Minors and pregnant females have much lower
limits
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Health and Medical Effects

• If there are low-level radiation readings, what
  are the possible sources of radiation?
• How much radiation do you receive daily?
• If there is radiation from the explosion, could
  it get onto or into your body?
• What happens if radiation gets into the body?

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Questions?