Radiation Pollution

is the pollution of the environment by particle and electromagnetic radiation from electric fields, magnetic fields or natural and man made sources including neutrons, x-rays, ultraviolet radiation, microwaves, alpha particles comes mostly from man-made sources, and is a matter of serious concern in the present day scenario affects our environment depending on the type of radiation and the amount of energy emitted. High doses of radiation can kill, but low doses can actually benefit both plants and animal.

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Introduction When we think of radiation we imagine nuclear explosions and bombs. While these are serious sources of high levels radiation (of high energy), there are many other sources much more common, practically ubiquitous, that generate low levels of radiation and which basically remain unnoticed. How many of us think for example of cellular phones as a source of radiation? And yet, the cell phones, cell phone towers, cordless phones, as well as TVs, computers, microwave ovens, broadcast antennas, military and aviation radars, satellites, and wireless internet are all sources of radiation. And so are the common medical X-Rays Considering this, the radiation pollution picture significantly expands. From some explosions and nuclear accidents happening relatively rarely in faraway places, the picture of radiation pollution expands as a complex matrix covering all the Earth and thus involving all of us everywhere! In this context, we may ask ourselves is radiation so bad? Yet, if it were, wouldnt we all be dead or sick by now?! It is estimated that about 20% of radiation we are exposed to is due to human activities. The human activities that may release radiation involve activities with radioactive materials such as mining, handling and processing of radioactive materials, handling and storage of radioactive waste, as well as the use of radioactive reactions to generate energy (nuclear power plants), along the use of radiation in medicine (e.g. X-Rays) and research. But what about microwaves, cell phones, radio transmitters, wireless devices, computers, and other common commodities of todays life? In order to see what their role in generating radiation pollution is, we need to first consider the definition of radiation.

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Types of Radiation 1. 2. 3. Alpha particles can be blocked by a piece of paper and human skin. Beta particles can penetrate through skin, while can be blocked by some pieces of glass and metal. Gamma rays can penetrate easily to human skin and damage cells on its way through, reaching far, and can only be blocked by a very thick, strong, massive piece of concrete.

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Sources of Radiation Pollution The sources of radiation pollution involve any process that emanates radiation in the environment. While there are many causes of radiation pollution (including research and medical procedures and wastes, nuclear power plants, TVs, computers, radio waves, cell-phones, etc.), the most common ones that can pose moderate to serious health risks include: 1. Nuclear explosions and detonations of nuclear weapons probably the highest amounts of human-induced radiation pollution have been generated in the mid twenty century through various experimental or combat nuclear detonations (that ended the Second World War). Defense weapon production may also release radioactivity from the handled radioactive materials (usually of high health risks). However, unless accident occurs, the current standards will not allow the release of any significant amount of radiation. Nuclear waste handling and disposal may generate low to medium radiation over long period of times. The radioactivity may contaminate and propagate through air, water, and soil as well. Thus, their effects may not be easily distinguishable and are hard to predict. Additional, some nuclear waste location may not be identified. The main issue with the radiation waste is the fact that it cannot be degraded or treated chemically or biologically. Thus, the only options are to contain the waste by storing it in tightly closed containers shielded with radiation-protective materials (such as Pb) or, if containing is not possible, to dilute it. The waste may also be contained by storage in remote areas with little or no life (such as remote caves or abandoned salt mines). However, in time, the shields (natural or artificial) may be damaged. Additionally, the past waste disposal practices may not have

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used appropriate measures to isolate the radiation. Thus, such areas need to be carefully identified and access restrictions promptly imposed. Mining of radioactive ores (such as uranium ores) involve the crushing and processing of radioactive ores and generate radioactive by-products. Mining of other ores may also generate radioactive wastes (such as mining of phosphate ores). Nuclear accidents an already classic example of such accident is the nuclear explosion at a former Soviet nuclear power plant from Chernobyl that occurred in the mid 1986. Its effects are still seen today. Another example is the 1979 explosion at Three Mile Island nuclear-power generating plant near Harrisburg, PA. The general problems at nuclear weapons reactors are other examples of this type of sources of radiation pollution. Even accidents from handling medical nuclear materials/wastes could have radiation health effects on workers.

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Harmful Effects of Radiation Pollution in the Environment Contaminated Water Nuclear accidents may produce fallout which can pollute water supplies for years after the incident, warns the World Health Organization (WHO). The 1986 explosion of a nuclear generator in Chernobyl (Ukraine) created a large radioactive cloud which polluted existing water supplies and produced contaminated rain in nearby countries. Contaminated Soil and Plants Nuclear radiation can contaminate soil, leading to plants which contain radiation and pose a health threat to individuals. Researchers explored the Marshall Islands, an area widely known for nuclear bomb testing by the U.S. military in the 1950s and 1960s. They found that current soil samples and local foods, including coconut meat, contained radiation levels significant enough to pose a health risk to individuals.

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Harmful Effects of Radiation Pollution on Humans 1. 2. Hair

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

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Positive Effects of Radiation 1. Warmth Not all radiation is nuclear in origin; in fact, radiation is really the scientific term for a large group of light- and lightrelated waves, including heat waves. Our planet is warm and habitable because it receives radiation from the sun. Among the many types of light-related waves the sun delivers to the Earth are infrared waves, which we feel as warmth. The positive effect of infrared radiation on the environment is stated in no uncertain terms by NASA, which notes that if it weren't for the warming radiation provided by the sun, the planet would be an uninhabitable ball of ice. 2. Vitamin D Synthesis Vitamins are micronutrients, meaning that they are chemical compounds that we require in small amounts in order to sustain life. Vitamin D is required for appropriate uptake of calcium--a mineral critical to bone formation and muscle function--from the digestive tract. Unlike many vitamins, which must be consumed, we have the ability to make vitamin D in the skin. Biochemists Reginald Garrett and Charles Grisham explain in their textbook, "Biochemistry," that in the presence of ultraviolet radiation, which is a light-related wave produced by the sun, chemicals in the skin react and produce vitamin D. Ultraviolet radiation is vital to sustaining not only human, but animal life; as such, it has a beneficial effect on the environment. 3. Plant Growth Plants make up a critical part of our atmosphere. They absorb the carbon dioxide produced as a waste product by humans and animals, and release the oxygen gas we depend upon for survival. The reaction in which plants take up carbon dioxide and release oxygen is called photosynthesis, which is a scientific term meaning "to produce from light." In fact, this term is quite accurate: Plants literally absorb the sun's radiation in order to achieve photosynthesis. The specific type of radiation utilized by plants falls into the visible-light portion of the radiation spectrum; the majority of light absorbed by plants is either red or blue, according to Garrett and Grisham. 4. Modern Conveniences As social creatures, our environment is more than simply the outdoor world. Our communities, businesses, and homes also form important components of our environment. As such, radiation harnessed to increase livelihood and comfort in the modern world also has a positive effect on the environment. One particular example is that of microwave radiation, which is used to cook food quickly. As explained by scientists Mary Campbell and Shawn Farrell in the "Biochemistry" book, microwave radiation can't cause cancer or radiation sickness---it's the wrong type of light-related phenomenon. It can, however, heat up water-containing substances, and therefore finds application in the microwave oven. Radios and older televisions also rely upon radiation in order to function; radio waves have much more in common with microwaves than they do with the radiation we think of when we picture a nuclear reactor, but they are radiation nevertheless, and can be sensed and converted into meaningful noise by radio receivers.

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Radioactive Waste Minimization and Pollution Prevention Guidance

Select reagents and procedures that minimize the volume and toxicity of all wastes. If feasible, design experiments in such a way that radioactive wastes are generated separately from chemically or biologically hazardous wastes Avoid ordering radioactive materials in quantities that exceed your intended usage Non-radioactive wastes must never be mixed with radioactive wastes. Failure to do this significantly increases the volum Non-radioactive tracers and methods are available for many common assays, and procedures used in biomedical Substitute with Short-lived Radionuclides where feasible Reduce the activity and volumes of materials used in the experiment to decrease the amount of wastes generated Replace hazardous chemical solvents with formulations not regulated as hazardous or mixed wastes Limit the number of users of radioactive materials Limit the number of areas where radioactive materials are used