RADIOACTIVITY

and
RADIOACTIVE POLLUTION
 Definition of Radiation

• “Radiation is an energy in the form of

electro-magnetic waves or particulate
matter, traveling in the air.”
Radioactive contamination:
is the deposition of, or presence of radioactive substances on
surfaces or within solids, liquids or gases (including the human
body), where their presence is unintended or undesirable.

Such contamination presents a hazard because of the

radioactive decay of the contaminants, which emit harmful
ioinising radiation such as alpha particles or beta particles ,
gamma rays or neutrons. The degree of hazard is
determined by the:
1)concentration of the contaminants,
2)the energy of the radiation being emitted,
3)the type of radiation, and
4)the proximity of the contamination to organs of the body.
It is important to be clear that the contamination gives rise
to the radiation hazard, and the terms "radiation" and
"contamination" are not interchangeable
 An Atom

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ISOTOPES
 Radiation and Radioactive Material are a Natural
Part of Our Lives

• We are constantly exposed to low levels of

radiation from outer space, earth, and the healing
arts.
• Low levels of naturally occurring radioactive
material are in our environment, the food we eat,
and in many consumer products.
• Some consumer products also contain small
amounts of man-made radioactive material.

7
 Radiation is Energy
• The energy is given off by unstable
(radioactive) atoms and some machines.

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 Radioactivity
• If a nucleus is unstable for any reason, it
will emit and absorb particles. There are
many types of radiation and they are all
pertinent to everyday life and health as
well as nuclear physical applications.
HISTORY OF RADIOACTIVITY
W. C. Roentgen

Henri Becquerel

Pierre and Marie Curie

The Lord Rutherford in his Lab.

 Ionization
• Ionizing radiation is produced by unstable
atoms. Unstable atoms differ from stable
atoms because they have an excess of
energy or mass or both.
• Unstable atoms are said to be radioactive. In
order to reach stability, these atoms give off,
or emit, the excess energy or mass. These
emissions are called radiation.
 Types of Radiation
• Radiation is classified into:

• Ionizing radiation
• Non-ionizing radiation
Ionizing Versus Non-ionizing
Radiation
• Ionizing Radiation
– Higher energy electromagnetic waves (gamma)
or heavy particles (beta and alpha).
– High enough energy to pull electron from orbit.

• Non-ionizing Radiation
– Lower energy electromagnetic waves.
– Not enough energy to pull electron from orbit,
but can excite the electron.
 Ionizing Radiation
• Definition:
“ It is a type of radiation that is able to
disrupt atoms and molecules on which
they pass through, giving rise to ions and
free radicals”.

The international radiation symbol

(also known as the ( trefoil ) first
appeared in 1946
 Primary Types of Ionizing
Radiation
• Alpha particles
• Beta particles
• Gamma rays (or photons)
• X-Rays (or photons)
• Neutrons
*
*
 GAMMA RAY

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 RADIATION SPEED

LIGHT SPEED=300 x 106 meter/ Second

• Speed of Alpha particles= 10% of light speed

• Speed of Beta particles= 90% of light speed

• Speed of Gamma rays = 100% of light speed

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 Shielding from
Radioactivity

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USAGE OF RADIO-ISOTOPES

Units of radioactivity
Curie=Ci
Rad
Rem
Half Life Calculation
 Some Isotopes & Their Half Lives
ISOTOPE HALF- APPLICATIONS
LIFE

Uranium billions of Natural uranium is comprised of several different isotopes. When

enriched in the isotope of U-235, it’s used to power nuclear reactor or
years nuclear weapons.

Carbon-14 5730 y Found in nature from cosmic interactions, used to “carbon date”
items and as radiolabel for detection of tumors.

Cesium-137 30.2 y Blood irradiators, tumor treatment through external exposure. Also
used for industrial radiography.

Hydrogen-3 12.3 y Labeling biological tracers.

Irridium-192 74 d Implants or "seeds" for treatment of cancer. Also used for industrial
radiography.

Molybdenum-9 66 h Parent for Tc-99m generator.

9
Technetium-99 6h Brain, heart, liver (gastoenterology), lungs, bones, thyroid, and kidney
imaging, regional cerebral blood flow, etc..
m
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Health effects of contamination
Biological effects
Radioactive contamination by definition emits
ionizing radiation, which can irradiate the human
body from an external or internal origin.
External irradiation
This is due to radiation from contamination located
outside the human body.
The source can be in the vicinity of the body or can be
on the skin surface.

The level of health risk is dependent on duration and

the type and strength of irradiation. Penetrating
radiation such as gamma rays, X-rays, neutrons or beta
particles pose the greatest risk from an external source.

Low penetrating radiation such as alpha particles have

a low external risk due to the shielding effect of the top
layers of skin.
Animal Cell
Assume this is an atom of a human body tissue or an organ
 Ionizing Radiation at the
Cellular Level
• Causes breaks in
one or both DNA
strands or;

• Causes Free
Radical formation
 Our Bodies Are Resilient
• DNA damage is most important and can
lead to cell malfunction or death.

• Our body has ~ 60 trillion cells

• Each cell takes “a hit” about every 10
seconds, resulting in tens of millions of
DNA breaks per cell each year.
• BACKGROUND RADIATION causes only a
very small fraction of these breaks
(~ 5 DNA breaks per cell each year).

• Our bodies have a highly efficient DNA

repair mechanisms

*
 Dividing Cells are the Most
Radiosensitive
• Rapidly dividing cells are more susceptible
to radiation damage.
• Examples of radiosensitive cells are;
• Blood forming Cells
• The intestinal lining
• Hair follicles
• A fetus
This is why the fetus has a exposure limit (over gestation
period) of 500 mrem (or 1/10th of the annual adult limit)
UCRL-PRES-149818. Understanding
* Radiation and it’s Effects. 31
 Effects of ACUTE Exposures
Dose (Rads*) Effects

First sign of physical effects

25-50
(drop in white blood cell count)
Threshold for vomiting
100
(within a few hours of exposure)
~ 50% die within 60 days
320 - 360
(with minimal supportive care)
~50 % die within 60 days
480 - 540
(with supportive medical care)
1,000 ~ 100% die within 30 days
* For common external exposures 1 Rad ~ 1Rem =
1,000 mrem UCRL-PRES-149818. Understanding
* Radiation and it’s Effects. 32
Effects of Radiation on the Human Body

1) Hair
The losing of hair quickly and in clumps occurs
with radiation exposure at 200 rems or higher.

(2) Brain
Since brain cells do not reproduce, they won't be
damaged directly unless the exposure is 5,000
rems or greater. Like the heart, radiation kills
nerve cells and small blood vessels, and can cause
seizures and immediate death.
(3) Thyroid
The certain body parts are more specifically affected by exposure to
different types of radiation sources. The thyroid gland is susceptible
to radioactive iodine. In sufficient amounts, radioactive iodine can
destroy all or part of the thyroid. By taking potassium iodide, one
can reduce the effects of exposure.
(4) Blood System
When a person is exposed to around 100 rems, the blood's
lymphocyte cell count will be reduced, leaving the victim more
susceptible to infection. This is often refered to as mild radiation
sickness. Early symptoms of radiation sickness mimic those of flu
and may go unnoticed unless a blood count is done. According to
data from Hiroshima and Nagaski, show that symptoms may
persist for up to 10 years and may also have an increased
long-term risk for leukemia and lymphoma.
(5) Heart
Intense exposure to radioactive material at 1,000 to 5,000 rems
would do immediate damage to small blood vessels and probably
cause heart failure and death directly.
(6) Gastrointestinal Tract
Radiation damage to the intestinal tract lining will cause nausea,
bloody vomiting and diarrhea. This is occurs when the victim's
exposure is 200 rems or more. The radiation will begin to destroy
the cells in the body that divide rapidly. These including blood, GI
tract, reproductive and hair cells, and harms their DNA and RNA of
surviving cells.
(7) Reproductive Tract
Because reproductive tract cells divide rapidly, these areas of the
body can be damaged at rem levels as low as 200. Long-term, some
radiation sickness victims will become sterile.
‫اﻟﺘﺮﻛﯿﺐ اﻟﮭﯿﻜﻠﻲ ﻟﺠﺰﯾﺌﺔ‪DNA‬‬
‫ﻗﻄﻌﺔ ﻣﻦ اﻟﺨﯿﻂ اﻟﻜﺮوﻣﻮﺳﻮﻣﻲ‬
‫اﻟﻤﺮاﺣﻞ اﻟﺠﻨﯿﻨﯿﺔ ﻓﻲ اﻟﺤﯿﻮاﻧﺎت اﻟﺜﺪﯾﯿﺔ ﻣﻊ ﺗﻮﺿﯿﺢ اﻟﻤﺪد اﻷﻛﺜﺮ‬
‫ﺣﺴﺎﺳﯿﺔ ﻟﺤﺪوث اﻟﺘﺸﻮھﺎت اﻟﺨﻠﻘﯿﺔ ﺑﺴﺒﺐ اﻟﺘﻠﻮث اﻹﺷﻌﺎﻋﻲ‬
History of Global Nuclear Reactors
TERATOGENIC EFFECTS IN ANIMALS
An Example of Human Teratogenic Effect
After the disaster, four square kilometres of pineAfter the disaster, four square
kilometres of pine forest directly downwind of the reactor turned reddish-brown and
died, earning the name of the "Red Forest", though it soon recovered.
 HIROSHIMA , JAPAN
1945
The Second World War
Photograph of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima
by USA Army
Hiroshima in 1945
Hiroshima 55 years later
A survived woman of Hiroshima bomb
Another survived woman of Hiroshima bomb
 Hiroshima attack Victim

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