Electromagnetic Radiation

Radiation is one of the main forms of energy (Pettigrew 1). In today’s environment we are only familiar with the basic types of radiation. These types are in the form of

Radiation was discovered in 1895 by Wilhelm Roentgen during a scientific experiment. Roentgen, classified radioactivity into three concepts: negative, positive, and electrically neutral. Radiation- is the emission or transmission of energy in the form of waves or particles through space or through a material medium. Technology is created with radiation and humans are exposed to the aspect daily with tons or material; especially in the doctor’s office and everywhere else.

Two miles underground in the Vale Creighton mine lies an advance lab far from the common world. In this lab many experiments are done from sub-atomic and astro-particle physics to the reactions of fruit flies to this underground environment. But one of the experiments is how organisms react to the absence of radiation underground and how it effects life. SnoLab the company in charge of this facility calls this experiment REPAIR (Researching the Effects of the Presence and Absence of Ionizing Radiation).

Cancer is a genetic, heritable disease in which abnormal cells divide rapidly destroying normal body cells, often being fatal. Cancer can occur in any body tissue; skin, organs, and parts of the reproductive system (Duda). There are various activities linked to different types of cancer, such as smoking, too much sun exposure, gene mutations, carcinogens, and viruses. A major cause of cancer, dating all the way back to the 1950’s, is radiation. Atomic testing ordered by the U.S. Government has been suspected to be the cause of many deaths linked to radiation-related diseases (Williams 149).

There are two reactions that happen in the human body when ionizing radiation within the diagnostic range (30-150 kilovolt peak) is

Beginning with the accident at Three Mile Island in 1979, a widespread belief has proliferated that all levels of ionizing radiation are dangerous. Since 1980, radiation hormesis studies have shown there is actually a threshold of danger with high level exposures, but below that threshold low dose radiation is essentially safe and quite possibly beneficial to life. Yet, this relatively new, seemingly contradictory understanding of radiation's health effects has gone essentially unknown to the general public. In order to grasp the reasons why, we must again return to the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Ira Helfand demonstrates ethos, or authority, to argue the fact that any amount of radiation can be detrimental to public health, no matter how small. In order to effectively represent authority with this claim, Helfand uses a report from the National Research BEIR VI, “It is the consensus of the medical and scientific community, summarized in the National Research Council BEIR VII report, that there is no safe level of radiation,” (Helfand, 2012. Para. 2). The National Research Council BEIR VII specializes in the study of nuclear energy. For this group to insist that there is not an amount of exposure to radiation that could be deemed as safe, it is more of an “eye-opener” on the argument. Consequently, including an expert organization’s findings into his article allows Dr. Helfand a security of authority on the

The book Hiroshima by John Hersey is about the atomic bomb and how it affected the lives of six specific characters. It not only ruined their neighborhood and shelter, but their bodies. Radiation hit these characters and the rest of the Hiroshima population like a truck. They had no idea what was happening to themselves. Not even the doctors in Japan knew what was happening like the Mother Superior of the International Hospital said: “’Think twice before you give this man blood transfusions, because with atomic-bomb patients we aren’t at all sure that if you stick needles in them, they’ll stop bleeding” (Hersey 74). Now in day, however, there is a great amount more known about the consequence of radiation on

This note is very important, because radiation is a very dangerous thing and you have to make sure you know the steps and for what you’re doing. Never take a risk.

For my original, scientifically-correct science fiction article that I will be writing later on this quarter, I plan to describe the dangers that astronauts face when traveling to outer space. Not only are there numerous unknowns that may arise as challenges, but there are very real health risks that must be addressed. Among those risks are the effects of long term space travel, and the lack of adaptation by the human body, as well as the high amounts of radiation that are present outside of the protection that the Earth provides. To better understand the radiation exposure that astronauts must deal with in space, I will define the risks of exposure to

Medalia (2011) concludes that ionizing radiation, in other words radiation separate from harmless radio waves and light, has the ability to knock electrons out of atoms, causing a condition that produces an electrically charged atom that can damage human cells. Only a very small amount is needed to produce biological change. Symptoms include cancer, genetic mutations, sickness, vomiting, diarrhea, hemorrhaging, and at high doses, death within hours (Medalia 2011).

This is a unit of measure of ionization in air, the quantity of radiation that produces one electrostatic charge in 1 cm3 of air. Radiation dose is the amount of energy absorbed by a tissue at a specific point. The rad is a unit of absorbed dose (the amount of energy absorbed by tissue) and is defined as 100 ergs of energy per gram of tissue (or rem). A localized dose of radiation is a rad of radiation to the localized area. Every gram of body tissue in that area absorbs one rad. When concerning total body dose in dentistry, the x-ray machine delivers a localized exposure with a single radiograph that results in a total body exposure approximately 1/10,000 of the facial exposure. X-rays have no effect on the nucleus of the absorbing atom, affecting only the atom’s orbiting electrons. Although the equipment and walls are receiving radiation in a dental operatory, they do not become

The Beta travels faster and penetrates further than any other. Gamma rays are the most dangerous from all since the can travel further and damage tissues and organs. Radiation can be measured in doses such as the Roentgens and the Rem. Radiation in our planet can come from cosmic radiation, terrestrial sources, the body, or man-made sources such as diagnostic radiology and therapeutic radiology. When a person is exposed to radiation he/she can suffer from acute effects also known as effects that occur quickly or chronic effects which are known as long term effects. People can handle chronic exposure to radiation better than a large amount of radiation within a short period of time. People who have a been exposed to large amounts of radiation within a short period of time can become ill quickly such as in acute radiation sickness or could potentially die from such exposure. Exposure to radiation can cause illnesses such as cancer, cataracts, and could ultimately cause a reduction in life. America uses emergency managers to handle aspect of all emergencies posed to communities across the country. Emergency managers use The Radiological Protection System trains and aids communities when radiological emergencies occur. In the United

The effects of EMR upon biological systems depend both upon the radiation's power and its frequency. For EMR of visible frequencies or lower the damage done to cells and other materials is determined mainly by power and caused primarily by heating effects from the combined energy transfer of many photons. By contrast, for ultraviolet and higher frequencies chemical materials and living cells can be further damaged beyond that done by simple heating, since individual photons of such high frequency have enough energy to cause direct molecular

Ionizing radiation is a form of radiation that can alter the structure of DNA molecules in living cells. It is a kind of energy produced by atoms that travels in form of electromagnetic waves. Sources of this form of energy are x-ray