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    3 views4 pages

    Radiation

    Uploaded by

    Apurva Srivastava

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
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    The boo water po topics lik tants in g tants, in noise technolo tion sect of water health, pollution of onvirc erable « graduate vison 40 [FUNDAMENTALS oF Aun avo Ware Powirion Increasingly acid precipitation in North America and Europe is depositing larger amounts of suiphuric acid and nittic acids. As the capacity limit of waterbodies to neutralize he excess acid is approached, the pH decreases and ast falls through the critical range, many species do not survive. The concentration of metal ions tend to increase in ‘acidified lakes, mainly duc toion exchange from acidified soilsand lake sediments, At low pH the toxicity of aluminium to organisms is especially high. Inthe water the gills of fish become clogged by imtation jnduced mucus discharges, causing severe respiratory stress and death. ‘Atlow pH mercury is more likely to occur as methyl mercury instead of its inorganic form leading to more rapid uptake by fish. ‘Sulphuric and nitric acids, formed from pollutants in the atmos- phere, leach magnesium, potassium and manganese from the upper root horizons of the soil and from damaged leaves. Moreover, alumin- jum and other metals reach toxic concentration and damawe root systems so that the plant cannot effectively take up nutrients and water. ‘Acid rain not only affects forests and aquatic ecosystems, it leaches exposed rock. Since many famous architectural structures are made of soft, easily eroded rocks, acid rain has damaged buildings of great historical value and considerable beauty. The classical buildings on the ‘Acropolis in Athens, Greece, have shown considerable more rapid decay inthis century than in previous ones. The Statutesat Herten Castle near Reckinghausen Westfolia Germany show the deterioration due 19 ‘acid rain, In India investigations are going on to find out whether Taj ‘Mahal is being affected duc to pollutants released by Mathura Refinery into the atmosphere. ‘Acid rain moves downwind from the sources and spreads widely. “The Gaseous pollutant produced at one country are producing severe ‘acid rain problems in other countries. For example, Sulphur dioxide produced in Great Britain, Germany and othor central European Countries are producing severe acid rain problems in Norway and ‘Sweden. In North America industrial point sources in the northern ‘tates and adjacent Canada have spread acid rain from that area north to Labrador and the Arctic ocean. 6 RaviaTION PoLtution Radiation isthe process by which energy is transfered from one \oaaother by electromagnetic waves. Its through radiation that hat energy from the Sun, theultimate source of energy for weather )rocesses, is transferred to the earth's atmosphere and then, from the ‘wih, ut into space Radiation thus plays a primary role in determining i enperatueeisibation or thermal sructare inthe atmosphere. The ition iscategorzed at beingeither long wave or short wave depend ice wavelength. Radiation from the Sun, tat reaches the surface Of Tint is visible and near visible portions of the electromagnetic jpecirum (0.4-1.0 um) while the radiation from terrestrial sources is in Ww ita sed (Primarily near 10m). HADIATIONS AND RADIOISOTOPES: Nadiations are of two types. Very high-energy radiations that are » semove electrons from atoms and attach them to other atoms, \ivioly producing positiveand negative on pairs, are knowns ionizing ‘niaion, The nonionizing radiation such as light and solar radiation ines not have this ionizing effect Ionizing radiations are produced from inictive materialsoncarthand are also received from space. Isotopes 0 loments that emit ionizing radiations are called radionuclides or ‘li sotopes. OF the thre ionizing radiations of primary concem, (wo w coupuscular (alpha and beta) and one is electromagnetic (gamma (llton and the related x-radiation) Alpha particles have the most mass and charge” and can travel Wy shor distance before being stopped by even very thin materia. Jivnin rays are high energy photons, travel the longest average trate thick shielding. Beta radiation is intermediate and is stopped by moderate shielding. n to tw lo of hos po of dos gra En Fosoawesras oF Ain aso Watex PouLuTioN ‘A radioisotope isa form of a chemical element that spontaneously «undergoes radioactive decay.Itchanges from one isotope toanother and ‘uring the process emits one or more forms of radiation, Each isotope has its own characteristic emissions. Some isotope emit only one kind Of radiation and some emit a mixture. Many radioactive isotopes undergo a scrics of radioactive decay steps, finally reaching a stable, non-radioactive form of an element. For example, uranium decays through 2 series of steps and ends up as a stable isotope of lead. Uranium, actinium nd thorium are the three naturally occurring radioisotope which undergo such decay. ‘A measure ofradiationat the source isthe rate of radioactive decay. “This is the number of atoms that decay in one second. A curie is a standard unit for decay and one cuie is 37 billion atoms decaying in one ‘second. The effect of radiation isthe dose, The dose in terms of energy received per unit of material is called a rad. A rad is 100 erg (enesgy absorbed) per gram. The dose in terms of health effects varies with the form and energy of the radiations and the nature of the absorbing material. The health effect scalled the dose equivalent and is measured in units called rems, which is an empirically derived unit. ‘An important characteristic of radioisotope is its half-life, which is the time required for one half of a given number of the isotopes to decay to another form. Every radioisotope has an unique characteristic half-life. Radioactive iodine has a short half-life of 8 days. Radioactive carbon-14 has an intermediate half-life of 5570 years. Uranium-235 hhas a half life of 700 miltion years “The degree of dangerousness ofa radioisotope to the environment ‘or human health depends on the kind of energy of radiation emitted, the half-life and the ordinary «.emical activity ofthe isotope. Other things ‘being equal, iow energy, shor half tived isotopesareless dangerous than high-energy. long half-lived isotopes. 2 NATURAL SOURCE Eversince theadventof life on earth it has been subjected to nuclear radiations from natural sources. These sources may be roughly grouped. under radioactive minerals, cosmic rays and airborne radio-nuclides. Radioactive mineral like K-40, U-238 and Th-232 are widely distributed in carth crust and give rise to what is called terrestrial background radioactivity. The concentration of thesemineralsin the soil ‘determines the intensity of nuclear radiations at any particular place. Kaouriow Poumon a Cosmic rays are highly energetic particles which earth . y reach the earth’ icon da pe eat what ca (ar the car's surface per minute is very high. Like erst I ttde es Wet nbar gine et Fenn Inia aking ‘number is maximum at poles and minimum Airborne radioactivity is primarily due to Ra ea y 02 and C, The k winsusly produced in atmosphere by the ation of coomie san eatosen Boot ese nce or or bay along hai nce inside they keep on affect “within? seyeingon etre uines nO” SPEER fom “wk MAN-MADE SOURCES sari etait oa ee ac ine ee won asa ‘waste product etc. pes mica nsalla ig ee cee ‘ith rain mix with soil, water and vegetation, Once Hed in buman sre en nani age cart Oe tac ana i! scientific research re npn seca tina ery reve esa es in ae meni es ive of wer, Veikage of nuclear radiations from nuclear reactors and research hunlanes and radioactive wastes from burntup fuels of nuclear ‘ied in tuildings which inereases o bed ning ur exposure to nuclear radiation. In ltdy Norway, it was found that people living in concrete and brick © about 30 per cent more radiation than those living in houses (Kumar and Garg, 1979), tants, nobe ton se of wal environ health pollutic of env) able graduat ‘Fuwpawentats oF Arg aNo Water PouLuTiOn EFFECTS OF RADIATION Radiativas from radioisotopes affect the environment in wo ways: by emitting radiation tat affects ole materials, and by enetng 1s gna pathways of mineral eycling and ecological food chains. ADO sogmadioactive isotopes are known to be produced from nuclear fall aoe of which only a few are dangerous to man. The radioisotopes feared aan matude Todine-131, isotopes of Strontium (Sr-90 and Sr-89), Caccium-137 and Carbon-14. Hazard from a radioisotope depends pon () te amountof isotope produced (ithe half-life ofthe iotspe, {ab efhcieney of transfer to man though food chain and iv) metabo sooo the isotope in the body. Radioiodine-131, two isotopes of seagatium and Caesium-137 cach the human body through food chain Tram surface deposits of vegetation. Carbon-14 enters the plant through photosynthesis. ‘Ouly very high doses of radiation can kllorganisms. A few hundred rodls(1 104 100 ergs) of whole body radiation delivered withina show Time can kill most mammals. Such a dose is called a “lethal dose”. Tn tran, dose between 250-250 rods is capable of killing 5O persons ont Tr 100 within a period of 30 days. Itis commonly refered to 25 LD 307 Jo or the lethal dose which can eause 50 per cent morality within 50 days, Any dose below the lethal dose isa “sub-lethal” dose, and can sexes a variety of biological effects. The degree of damage depends on {he dose received and the time in which the radiation is delivered fe. jose delivered in a yery short interval will do more harm than the sasme dose given during a longer interval. The effects may appear at 8 tarer date, within a few months or even afler many years Of exposure, Such effects are known as late or delayed effects. Ladiations produce asetof symptomsor syndromes whose time of onset and severity depend on the size ofthe dose, These syndromes, cae orieed by nauseas, vomiting diarrhoea, loss of appetite loss of

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