Biological Effects of Ionizing

Radiation
Prof. Hamby
 Objectives

Describe how ionizing radiation
interacts with biological material

Discuss the major factors that influence
the severity or type of biological effect

Define terms describing biological
effect

Define radiation dose quantities

Describe meaning of “dose-response”

Define stochastic and non-stochastic
processes
Ionizing Radiation

Radiation having adequate energy
to ionize atoms, dissociate
molecules, or alter nuclear
structures

Particles, alpha, beta, electrons,
neutrons, protons

Electromagnetic waves, x-rays,
gamma rays

Direct or indirect ionization of
atoms
Energy Deposition

Radiation interacts by either
ionizing or exciting the atoms or
molecules in the body (water)

Energy is deposited and absorbed
as a result of these interactions

Absorbed Dose is defined as the
energy absorbed per unit mass of
material (tissue in this case)
Biological Damage

Damage can occur at various
biological levels
 Sub-cellular
 Cellular (cell death)
 Organ (disfunction)
 Organism (cancer, death)
 Cellular Radiosensitivity

Cells that divide more rapidly

are more sensitive to the effects
of radiation ...

… essentially because the resulting

effect is seen more rapidly.
Acute Radiation
Syndrome

Sub-clinical
 25 - 200 rads; no symptoms, but signs

Hematopoietic
 200 - 600 rads; changes in blood

Gastrointestinal
 600 - 1000 rads; intestinal lining failure

Cerebral
 > 1000 rads; nervous system failure

LD50/30 ~ 400 rads

Factors Influencing
Biological Effect

Total absorbed energy (dose)

Dose rate
 Acute (seconds, minutes)
 Chronic (days, years)

Type of radiation

Source of radiation
 External
 Internal

Age at exposure
Factors Influencing
Biological Effect

Time since exposure

Area or location being irradiated
 Localized (cells, organ)
 Extremities (hands, forearms, feet,
lower legs)
 Entire body (trunk including head)
 Superficial dose (skin only - shallow)
 Deep tissue (“deep dose”)
Terms

Acute exposure - dose received in a
short time (seconds, minutes)

Acute effects - symptoms occur
shortly after exposure

Chronic exposure - dose received
over longer time periods (hrs, days)

Delayed effects - symptoms occur
after a latent (dormant) period
Terms

Somatic effects - those which occur
in the person exposed

Genetic effects - those which occur
in the offspring of exposed persons

Stochastic effects - likelihood of
effect is random, but increases with
increasing dose

Non-stochastic effects - likelihood
of effect is based solely on dose
exceeding some threshold
 Radiation Dosimetry

radiation energy biological

interaction deposition response


Radiation dose quantifies energy
deposition

Dose categories:
 local; whole body; extremity
 shallow; deep
 internal; external
 Dosimetric Quantities

Erythema; Photographic fog

Exposure (1 R = 1 SC/cm3)
 Defined for photons in air
 SI definition: 1 X unit = 1 C/kg

Absorbed Dose, D (1 rad = 100
ergs/gm)
 Defined for all radiations/all media
 SI definition: 1 Gy = 1 J/kg = 100 rads
 1 rad (tissue) ~ 1 R (air)
Radiation Quality

Not all radiations are created equal

What is the “quality” of radiation?

Linear Energy Transfer (LET)

Energy absorbed per unit length
(keV/m)

Essentially a measure of
“ionization density”
Relative Biological
Effectiveness

RBE is an empirically determined
measure of radiation quality

Expresses the different absorbed
dose required by two radiations in
order to cause the same endpoint

Biological endpoint is undefined

Standard radiations are either 250
kVp x-rays or 60Co gamma rays
 Radiation Quality

The ionization density is

different among radiation types.
X-ray -- not many ionizations
Alpha particle -- very high density
Beta particle -- high density at end
 Dosimetric Quantities

Dose Equivalent, H (rem)
 Used to “normalize” over different
radiation types
 Quality factor, QF, describes
ionization density (wR)
 QF related to both LET and RBE
 H = D • QF
 SI definition: 1 Sv = 100 rem
Dosimetric Quantities

Fatal cancer is the biological
endpoint of importance

Estimates have been made of
organ-specific risks of cancer
fatality

Some cancers can be treated
successfully

Therefore, need to consider
individual organ risks
Dosimetric Quantities

Effective Dose Equivalent, E (rem)
 Used to “normalize” over different
organ radio-sensitivities
 Tissue weighting factor, wT,
describes relative cancer risk
 E =  (H • wT)
 SI definition: still, 1 Sv = 100 rem
 Unit of record
Dosimetric Quantities

Internal Dose

External Dose

Committed Dose

Cumulative Dose

Population Dose

EDE

CEDE

TEDE
 Dose-Response

“Dose-Response
Curves”
Response
(Cancer
Fatality)

Dose
Non-Stochastic (Deterministic)
Effects

Occurs above threshold dose

Severity increases with dose
 Alopecia (hair loss)
 Cataracts

 Erythema (skin reddening)

 Radiation Sickness

 Temporary Sterility
Stochastic (Probabilistic)
Effects

Occurs by chance

Probability increases with dose
 Carcinogenesis
 Mutagenesis

 Teratogenesis