Modern man is constantly exposed to radiation. It is emitted by household appliances, fashion gadgets, power lines and other objects. Radiation is usually divided into two groups: non-ionizing and ionizing. The first group is considered safe for humans. It includes radio waves, heat, ultraviolet. The danger is represented by the second group, to which radiation belongs. Why is this radiation so dangerous and what are the lethal doses of radiation for humans.
Where can you encounter radiation?
Radiation follows man everywhere. The earth itself has a natural radiation background. It may vary by region. The highest level of radiation in our country is observed in the Altai Territory. But even it is so small that it is considered completely safe. Much more dangerous are artificially created sources of ionizing radiation, which we encounter quite often:
- X-ray equipment in hospitals. Every year we undergo a fluorographic examination and are exposed to radiation. The dose of radiation in roentgens is small and with a single passage of such a procedure, harm to health is not applied.
- Scanning devices at airports. They work in a similar way to medical x-rays. The rays pass through the human body, so the radiation dose is extremely small.
- Screens of old televisions equipped with cathode ray tubes.
- Reactors of nuclear power plants. This is the most powerful source. As long as it is intact, it does not pose a particular danger. But any damage to it threatens a global catastrophe.
- radioactive waste. If they are disposed of incorrectly, they may contaminate the environment, which carries a potential hazard.
A normal dose of radiation does not pose a great danger to human life or health.. When it is slightly exceeded, radiation sickness develops. If a person is exposed to a large dose of radiation, instant death occurs.
Radiation unit
Since 1979, a new unit for measuring the level of radiation has been introduced - sievert. It can be designated Sv or Sv. One sievert is equivalent to the amount of energy that one kilogram of biological tissue absorbs. Previously, the rem was considered the unit of measurement of radiation. 1 sievert is equal to 100 rem.
Small doses of radiation are usually measured in millisieverts. One sievert is equal to one thousand millisieverts.
How radiation is measured
The radioactivity of the surrounding space directly affects the state of health. Even while at home, a person can be exposed to negative influences. Particularly dangerous are apartments in which there are crockery made from tap glass, finishing materials with the addition of granite or old radiation paint. Under such circumstances, it is important to periodically measure the background radiation.
Special devices - radiometers or dosimeters - will help to identify a dangerous background. For operation in a residential area, a dosimeter is used. Using a radiometer, you can easily determine the background of food products.
Today, there are special organizations that provide services for determining radiation contamination. Experts will help identify and dispose of background sources.
You can also purchase a home dosimeter. But it is impossible to be 100% sure of the readings of such a device. When using it, you must strictly follow the instructions and avoid contact of the device with the objects under study. If indoor radiation levels prove unacceptable, professional help should be sought as soon as possible.
Degrees of exposure to radiation on humans
To understand the question of what dose of radiation is dangerous for humans, the table will help.
Radiation dose, Sv | Human impact |
Up to 0.05 | Permissible exposure doses. With this exposure, negative consequences for human health are not observed. |
0.05 to 0.2 | There are no symptoms of radiation sickness. In the future, the likelihood of developing cancer, as well as genetic mutations in offspring, increases. |
0.2 to 0.5 | There are no negative symptoms. In the blood, the concentration of leukocytes decreases. |
0.5 to 1 | The first signs of radiation sickness appear. Men are more likely to be infertile. |
1 to 2 | Severe form of radiation sickness. Based on statistics, 10% of people who received such a dose of radiation live no more than a month. In the first 10 days the condition of the victim is stable, after which there is a sharp deterioration in well-being. |
2 to 3 | The probability of death during the first month rises to 35%. The concentration of blood leukocytes drops to critical values. |
3 to 6 | The possibility of a cure remains. About 60% of the victims die. The cause of death is the development of infectious diseases and internal bleeding. |
6 to 10 | The probability of death is 100%. It is impossible to recover in this case. Modern medicine manages to delay death for a maximum of a year. |
10 to 80 | The person falls into a deep coma. Death occurs after half an hour. |
Over 80 | Death from radiation occurs instantly. |
Radiation is considered safe if its power does not exceed 0.2 microsievert per hour.. The permissible dose of radiation for humans does not exceed 0.05 Sv. Irradiation above this indicator leads to serious health consequences. An annual dose of X-ray exposure of 0.05 Sv is typical for people working at nuclear power plants in the absence of any emergency situations.
During local medical procedures, the maximum permitted radiation dose for a person is 0.3 Sv. The rate of X-ray exposure per year does not exceed two procedures.
The role is played not only by the radiation power, but also by the duration of exposure. A low impact that has an impact for a long time will be more detrimental to health than a short-term strong impact. But this is true only if we are not talking about lethal doses of radiation.
Effect of accumulation of radiation
During a lifetime, the human body can accumulate from 100 to 700 microsieverts of radiation.. This indicator is considered normal and does not threaten the health or life of a person. At the same time, about 3 to 4 microsieverts can accumulate in the body per year.
The amount of accumulated radiation will largely depend on external circumstances. Thus, each radiographic image in the dentist's office brings 0.2 microsieverts, a passage through an airport scanner - 0.001 mSv, and a fluorographic examination - 3 mSv.
When radiation sickness develops
A consequence of the impact of a critical dose of radiation on a person is the development of radiation sickness. It affects almost every system in the body.. Depending on the dose, radiation can be treatable or fatal.
According to recent studies, for the appearance of radiation sickness, a dangerous dose of radiation per year is 1.5 Sv. The limit of the admissible dose of a single irradiation is 0.5 Sv. After this mark, signs of defeat begin to appear.
The following forms of radiation sickness are distinguished:
- Radiation injury. Appears if the dosage of single radiation did not exceed 1 Sv.
- Bone form. Dangerous norms - from 1 to 6 Sv. In half of the cases, this form of the disease leads to death.
- The gastrointestinal form is observed at a radiation dosage of 10 to 20 Sv. Accompanied by internal bleeding, fever, development of infectious lesions.
- vascular form. Develops after irradiation in the range from 20 to 80 Sv. Severe hemodynamic disturbances occur.
- cerebral form. Observed when irradiated above 80 Sv. There is an instant cerebral edema and death of the victim.
In some cases, radiation sickness can develop into a chronic form. The period of its formation can take up to three years.. After this, the body is restored, which lasts another three years. With the right therapy, the result is a cure. But in some cases, the patient cannot be saved.
Symptoms of radiation sickness
If the normal dose of radiation was not critically exceeded, then symptoms of radiation injury appear. Among them are:
- Attacks of nausea and vomiting.
- Dryness of the mucous surfaces of the nasopharynx.
- There is a taste of bitterness in the mouth.
- Severe headaches appear.
- The victim quickly gets tired, his vitality leaves him.
- Arterial pressure decreases.
If the radiation dose exceeds 10 Sv, the following symptoms are observed:
- Redness of certain areas of the skin. Over time, they acquire a blue tint.
- The frequency of contraction of the heart muscle changes.
- Decreased muscle tone.
- There is a tremor in the fingers.
- The tendon reflex disappears.
After four days, the expressed symptoms disappear. The disease goes into a latent form. Its duration will depend on the degree of damage to the body. At the same time, all reflexes of the body are significantly reduced, symptoms of a neuralgic nature appear.
If the radiation dose exceeded 3 SR, then after two weeks, intense baldness begins. At a dose above 10 Sv, the disease immediately passes into the third phase. There is a serious change in the composition of the blood, infectious diseases develop. In the shortest possible time, cerebral edema occurs, muscle tone completely disappears. In the vast majority of cases, the person dies.
At the first suspicious symptoms, you should seek medical help. Only with timely therapy is there a chance for a successful cure for radiation sickness.
Diagnostics
The appearance of radiation sickness is detected on the basis of primary signs. Close attention is paid to patients who have been in a situation where a safe dose of radiation has been exceeded.
The severity of the lesion is determined during the study of blood samples of the victim. It turns out the presence of anemia, reticulocytopenia, leukopenia, ESR. Signs of bleeding in the myelogram indicate the presence of radiation sickness.
In addition to blood tests, the following diagnostic measures are carried out:
- Taking scrapings of skin ulcers and conducting microscopy.
- Abdominal ultrasound.
- Ultrasound of the pelvic organs.
At the same time, consultations are held with narrow specialists: hematologist, endocrinologist, neuropathologist and gastroenterologist. They carefully study the clinical picture of the disease and the results of all examinations.
Radiation sickness therapy
The disease is successfully treated if the dose threshold of infection is slightly exceeded. Among the main therapeutic methods are:
- Timely first aid. This is especially important for people who have been in a place of strong radiation contamination. All clothing is removed from the victim, as it accumulates radiation in itself. Thoroughly wash the body and stomach.
- Medical therapy. It includes the use of sedatives, antihistamines, antibiotics, means to restore the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, treatment is carried out aimed at restoring the immune system. At the third stage of the disease, antihemorrhagic drugs are prescribed, among other things.
- Blood transfusion.
- Physiotherapy. Most often, breathing with an oxygen mask is used.
- In some cases, specialists perform a bone marrow transplant.
- Proper nutrition. First of all, an optimal drinking regime is organized. The victim should drink at least two liters of water per day. His diet should also include juices and tea. In this case, you can not drink at the same time as eating. The consumption of fatty, fried and overly salty foods is reduced to a minimum. There should be at least five meals a day. The consumption of alcoholic beverages is strictly prohibited.
Preventive actions
In order not to become a victim of radiation cure, you must adhere to the following recommendations:
- Avoid Potentially Hazardous Areas. At the slightest suspicion that the territory has the maximum dose of radiation, you should immediately leave this place and contact the specialists.
- People employed in hazardous industries are advised to use vitamin and mineral complexes, as well as other drugs that support the immune system. The choice of specific medications should be carried out in conjunction with the attending physician.
- When in contact with radioactive objects, it is necessary to use specialized protective equipment: suits, respirators, and so on.
- Drink as much water as possible. Fluid helps flush out radioactive substances from the body.
The lethal dose of radiation in sieverts is only 6 units. Therefore, at the first suspicion of an increased background, it is necessary to conduct a study using a dosimeter.
God is probably protecting us, - unexpectedly said Valentin Sergienko, chairman of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Agree, you don’t often hear such words from a scientist. - But we, despite the proximity to Japan, are practically not threatened by anything.
The main danger, according to scientists, is spent fuel that has fallen into sea water. But here, as Valentin Ivanovich has already noted, thanks to the intervention of higher forces, we are protected by currents that carry polluted water away from our coast. If there are heavy metals in the sea, they are all spinning around the island of Honshu. The same is true for the Sea of Okhotsk.
Polluted water is more likely to reach Hawaii and California than the Far East. The same applies to the movement of air masses. Firstly, iodine-131 got into the air, and it quickly decays, after 80 days there will be no trace left. Secondly, again, due to climatic features, it did not reach us - the wind carried away all harmful impurities in the opposite direction. Yes, an increase in the radiation background was recorded in Vladivostok, but it was so insignificant that only special instruments caught it.
Scientists have also dispelled another cause for concern: migratory birds cannot bring radioactive contamination into Primorye.
Agree, it is difficult to imagine that all the birds landed in the Fukushima area at once, and then headed towards Primorye, - ornithologist Alexander Nazarenko puzzled those present. - But if we assume that someone caught the radiation, then the irradiated bird simply will not be able to fly to the Far East. The disease in the body of a bird develops much faster, and a sick bird simply does not have the strength to migrate. In addition, the main wintering place on Japanese territory is the island of Honshu. From there, birds fly to the north of the Khabarovsk Territory and to the Magadan Region. And our birds winter in South China and Indonesia.
Thanks to God and such an intricate flow pattern, the likelihood that contaminated water will reach us is very small.
So that not a single infected bird will reach the middle of the Sea of Japan!
But, despite all this, scientists are not going to relax.
For at least two or three years, we will regularly take samples of sea water and air, monitor commercial fish, in particular red. True, she "walks" far from the risky zone, but God saves the safe, - scientists again referred to higher powers.
Finally, they explained the mysterious situation with Japanese cars, which our eastern neighbors calmly produced, but in Russia the cars showed an increased background radiation.
- It's just that in Japan radiation of 30 μR/h is considered the norm, and in Russia - 15, - says Valentin Sergienko.
An interesting fact is that, according to the experts of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, explosions and this threat could easily have been avoided if the Japanese were prepared for an emergency situation.
Yes, they are high-class specialists, but in conditions of well-functioning work. But they do not know how to quickly respond to the unforeseen. It was possible to slowly “bleed” gas from the reactors, but they reached the point where the valves were torn off. Contact with oxygen led to an explosion and the consequences that we have now, - explains Valentin Ivanovich. – But still, you can’t compare Fukushima and Chernobyl. Still, there was no massive release of fuel components.
The unit of measure is Sievert. Dangerous and everyday levels of radiation.
Sievert(symbol: Sv, Sv) is the SI unit of effective and equivalent doses of ionizing radiation (used since 1979). 1 sievert is the amount of energy absorbed by a kilogram of biological tissue, equal in effect to an absorbed dose of 1 Gy (1 Gray).
In terms of other SI units, the sievert is expressed as follows:
1 Sv \u003d 1 J / kg \u003d 1 m 2 / s 2 (for radiation with a quality factor equal to 1.0)
The equality of Sievert and Gray shows that the effective dose and the absorbed dose have the same dimension, but does not mean that the effective dose is numerically equal to the absorbed dose. When determining the effective dose, the biological effect of radiation is taken into account, it is equal to the absorbed dose multiplied by the quality factor, which depends on the type of radiation and characterizes the biological activity of a particular type of radiation. It is of great importance for radiobiology.
The unit is named after the Swedish scientist Rolf Sievert.
Previously (and sometimes now) the unit rem was used (the biological equivalent of a roentgen), English. rem (roentgen equivalent man) is an obsolete non-systemic unit of equivalent dose. 100 rem equals 1 sievert. It is also true that 100 roentgens = 1 sievert, with the caveat that the biological effect of the x-rays is considered.
Multiples and submultiples
Decimal multiples and submultiples are formed using standard SI prefixes.
Multiples | Dolnye | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
magnitude | title | designation | magnitude | title | designation | ||
101 Sv | decasivert | daSv | daSv | 10 -1 Sv | decisievert | dSv | dSv |
102 Sv | hectosievert | gSv | hSv | 10 -2 Sv | centisievert | cSv | cSv |
103 Sv | kilosievert | kSv | kSv | 10 -3 Sv | millisievert | mSv | mSv |
106 Sv | megasievert | MZv | MSv | 10 -6 Sv | microsievert | µSv | µSv |
109 Sv | gigasievert | GZv | GSv | 10 -9 Sv | nanosievert | nSv | nSv |
1012 Sv | terasivert | TZv | TSv | 10 -12 Sv | picosievert | eSv | pSv |
1015 Sv | petazivert | ELV | PSv | 10 -15 Sv | femtosievert | fZv | fSv |
1018 Sv | exazivert | EZv | ESv | 10 -18 Sv | attosievert | aSv | aSv |
1021 Sv | zettasivert | ZZv | ZSv | 10 -21 Sv | zeptosievert | zSv | zSv |
1024 Sv | yottazivert | Izv | YSv | 10 -24 Sv | yoctosievert | iSv | ySv |
Permissible and lethal doses for humans
The millisievert is often used as a measure of dose in medical diagnostic procedures (fluoroscopy, X-ray computed tomography, etc.).
According to the decision of the chief state sanitary doctor of Russia No. 11 dated April 21. 2006 “On limiting the exposure of the population during X-ray medical examinations”, paragraph 3.2, it is necessary “to ensure compliance with the annual effective dose of 1 mSv during preventive medical X-ray examinations, including during medical examinations.”
Natural background ionizing radiation averages 2.4 mSv/year. In this case, the spread of background radiation values at different points on the Earth is 1–10 mSv/year.
With a single uniform irradiation of the whole body and the failure to provide specialized medical care, death occurs in 50% of cases:
- at a dose of about 3-5 Sv due to damage to the bone marrow within 30-60 days;
- 10 ± 5 Sv due to damage to the gastrointestinal tract and lungs for 10–20 days;
- > 15 Sv due to damage to the nervous system within 1–5 days.
The word "radiation" is more often understood as ionizing radiation associated with radioactive decay. At the same time, a person experiences the action of non-ionizing types of radiation: electromagnetic and ultraviolet.
The main sources of radiation are:
- natural radioactive substances around and inside us - 73%;
- medical procedures (radioscopy and others) - 13%;
- cosmic radiation - 14%.
Of course, there are technogenic sources of pollution that appeared as a result of major accidents. These are the most dangerous events for mankind, because, as in a nuclear explosion, iodine (J-131), cesium (Cs-137) and strontium (mainly Sr-90) can be released in this case. Weapons-grade plutonium (Pu-241) and its decay products are no less dangerous.
Also, do not forget that for the last 40 years the Earth's atmosphere has been very heavily polluted by radioactive products of atomic and hydrogen bombs. Of course, at the moment, radioactive fallout falls only in connection with natural disasters, such as volcanic eruptions. But, on the other hand, during the fission of a nuclear charge at the time of the explosion, a radioactive isotope of carbon-14 is formed with a half-life of 5,730 years. The explosions changed the equilibrium content of carbon-14 in the atmosphere by 2.6%. At present, the average effective dose equivalent rate due to explosion products is about 1 mrem/year, which is approximately 1% of the dose rate due to natural background radiation.
mos-rep.ruEnergy is another reason for the serious accumulation of radionuclides in the human and animal body. The coal used to operate the CHP plant contains naturally occurring radioactive elements such as potassium-40, uranium-238 and thorium-232. The annual dose in the area of coal-fired CHP is 0.5–5 mrem/year. By the way, nuclear power plants are characterized by significantly lower emissions.
Almost all inhabitants of the Earth undergo medical procedures using sources of ionizing radiation. But this is a more complex issue, to which we will return a little later.
What units is radiation measured in?
Various units are used to measure the amount of radiation energy. In medicine, the main one is the sievert - the effective equivalent dose received in one procedure by the whole organism. It is in sieverts per unit time that the level of background radiation is measured. The becquerel is a unit of measure for the radioactivity of water, soil, and so on per unit volume.
See the table for other units of measurement.
Term |
Units |
Unit ratio |
Definition |
|
In the SI system |
In the old system |
|||
Activity |
Becquerel, Bq |
1 Ci = 3.7 × 10 10 Bq |
Number of radioactive decays per unit time |
|
Dose rate |
Sievert per hour, Sv/h |
X-ray per hour, R/h |
1 µR/h = 0.01 µSv/h |
Radiation level per unit of time |
Absorbed dose |
radian, rad |
1 rad = 0.01 Gy |
The amount of ionizing radiation energy transferred to a specific object |
|
Effective dose |
Sievert, Sv |
1 rem = 0.01 Sv |
Radiation dose, taking into account the different sensitivity of organs to radiation |
Consequences of irradiation
The effect of radiation on a person is called irradiation. Its main manifestation is acute radiation sickness, which has various degrees of severity. Radiation sickness can manifest itself when irradiated with a dose equal to 1 sievert. A dose of 0.2 Sv increases the risk of cancer, and a dose of 3 Sv threatens the life of the irradiated person.
Radiation sickness manifests itself in the form of the following symptoms: loss of strength, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting; dry, hacking cough; cardiac disorders.
In addition, radiation causes radiation burns. Very large doses lead to the death of the skin, up to muscle and bone damage, which is treated much worse than chemical or thermal burns. Along with burns, metabolic disorders, infectious complications, radiation infertility, radiation cataracts may appear.
The consequences of irradiation can manifest themselves after a long time - this is the so-called stochastic effect. It is expressed in the fact that among exposed people the frequency of certain oncological diseases may increase. Theoretically, genetic effects are also possible, but even among the 78,000 Japanese children who survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, they did not find an increase in the number of cases of hereditary diseases. And this is despite the fact that the effects of irradiation have a stronger effect on dividing cells, so radiation is much more dangerous for children than for adults.
Short-term exposure to low doses, used for examination and treatment of certain diseases, gives rise to an interesting effect called hormesis. This is the stimulation of any system of the body by external influences that have a force insufficient for the manifestation of harmful factors. This effect allows the body to mobilize forces.
Statistically, radiation can increase the level of oncology, but it is very difficult to identify the direct effect of radiation, separating it from the action of chemically harmful substances, viruses, and other things. It is known that after the bombing of Hiroshima, the first effects in the form of an increase in the incidence began to appear only after 10 years or more. Cancer of the thyroid, breast and certain parts of the body is directly related to radiation.
chornobyl.in.ua
The natural radiation background is about 0.1–0.2 µSv/h. It is believed that a constant background level above 1.2 μSv / h is dangerous for humans (it is necessary to distinguish between an instantly absorbed radiation dose and a constant background dose). Is it a lot? For comparison: the level of radiation at a distance of 20 km from the Japanese nuclear power plant "Fukushima-1" at the time of the accident exceeded the norm by 1,600 times. The maximum recorded radiation level at this distance is 161 µSv/h. After the explosion, the radiation level reached several thousand microsieverts per hour.
During a 2–3-hour flight over an ecologically clean area, a person receives exposure to 20–30 μSv. The same dose of radiation threatens if a person takes 10-15 pictures in one day with a modern x-ray machine - a visiograph. A couple of hours in front of a cathode ray monitor or TV gives the same dose of radiation as one such picture. The annual dose from smoking one cigarette a day is 2.7 mSv. One fluorography - 0.6 mSv, one radiography - 1.3 mSv, one fluoroscopy - 5 mSv. Radiation from concrete walls - up to 3 mSv per year.
When irradiating the whole body and for the first group of critical organs (heart, lungs, brain, pancreas, and others), regulatory documents set the maximum dose value at 50,000 μSv (5 rem) per year.
Acute radiation sickness develops at a single exposure dose of 1,000,000 μSv (25,000 digital fluorography, 1,000 spinal radiographs in one day). Large doses have an even stronger effect:
- 750,000 µSv - short-term insignificant change in blood composition;
- 1,000,000 µSv - mild degree of radiation sickness;
- 4,500,000 µSv - severe radiation sickness (50% of those exposed die);
- about 7,000,000 µSv - death.
Are x-rays dangerous?
Most often, we encounter radiation during medical research. However, the doses that we receive in the process are so small that we should not be afraid of them. The irradiation time with an old X-ray machine is 0.5–1.2 seconds. And with a modern visiograph, everything happens 10 times faster: in 0.05-0.3 seconds.
According to the medical requirements set forth in SanPiN 2.6.1.1192-03, during preventive medical radiological procedures, the radiation dose should not exceed 1,000 μSv per year. How much is in pictures? Quite a bit of:
- 500 sighting images (2–3 μSv) obtained with a radiovisiograph;
- 100 of the same images, but using a good X-ray film (10–15 µSv);
- 80 digital orthopantomograms (13–17 µSv);
- 40 film orthopantomograms (25–30 μSv);
- 20 computed tomograms (45–60 μSv).
That is, if every day throughout the year we take one image on a visiograph, add to this a couple of computed tomograms and the same number of orthopantomograms, then even in this case we will not go beyond the permitted doses.
Who should not be irradiated
However, there are people to whom even such types of exposure are strictly prohibited. According to the standards approved in Russia (SanPiN 2.6.1.1192-03), irradiation in the form of X-rays can only be performed in the second half of pregnancy, except in cases where the issue of abortion or the need for emergency or emergency care must be resolved.
Paragraph 7.18 of the document reads: “X-ray examinations of pregnant women are carried out using all possible means and methods of protection so that the dose received by the fetus does not exceed 1 mSv in two months of undiagnosed pregnancy. If the fetus receives a dose exceeding 100 mSv, the doctor must warn the patient about the possible consequences and recommend terminating the pregnancy.”
Young people who will become parents in the future need to cover the abdominal area and genitals from radiation. X-ray radiation has the most negative effect on blood cells and germ cells. In children, in general, the entire body should be shielded, except for the area being examined, and studies should be carried out only when necessary and as directed by a doctor.
Sergey Nelyubin, Head of the Department of X-ray Diagnostics, RNCH named after I.I. B. V. Petrovsky, Candidate of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor
How to protect yourself
There are three main methods of X-ray protection: time protection, distance protection and shielding. That is, the less you are in the zone of action of X-rays and the farther you are from the radiation source, the lower the radiation dose.
Although the safe dose of radiation exposure is calculated for a year, it is still not worth doing several x-ray studies on the same day, for example, fluorography and. Well, each patient should have a radiation passport (it is invested in a medical card): the radiologist enters information about the dose received during each examination into it.
Radiography primarily affects the endocrine glands, the lungs. The same applies to small doses of radiation during accidents and releases of active substances. Therefore, as a preventive measure, doctors recommend breathing exercises. They will help cleanse the lungs and activate the reserves of the body.
To normalize the internal processes of the body and remove harmful substances, it is worth using more antioxidants: vitamins A, C, E (red wine, grapes). Sour cream, cottage cheese, milk, grain bread, bran, raw rice, prunes are useful.
In the event that food products inspire certain concerns, you can use the recommendations for residents of the regions affected by the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.
»
In real exposure due to an accident or in a contaminated area, quite a lot needs to be done. First you need to carry out decontamination: quickly and accurately remove clothes and shoes with radiation carriers, properly dispose of them, or at least remove radioactive dust from your belongings and surrounding surfaces. It is enough to wash the body and clothes (separately) under running water using detergents.
Before or after exposure to radiation, nutritional supplements and anti-radiation drugs are used. The most well-known drugs are high in iodine, which helps to effectively combat the negative effects of its radioactive isotope, which is localized in the thyroid gland. To block the accumulation of radioactive cesium and prevent secondary damage, "Potassium orotate" is used. Calcium supplements deactivate the radioactive strontium preparation by 90%. Dimethyl sulfide is shown to protect cellular structures.
By the way, the well-known activated carbon can neutralize the effect of radiation. And the benefits of drinking vodka immediately after exposure are not a myth at all. It really helps to remove radioactive isotopes from the body in the simplest cases.
Just do not forget: self-treatment should be carried out only if it is impossible to consult a doctor in a timely manner and only in the case of real, not fictitious exposure. X-ray diagnostics, watching TV or flying on an airplane do not affect the health of the average inhabitant of the Earth.
The radiation rate for a person is a conditional term used in radiology and nuclear energy to determine the amount of radiation received by the body, measured in microR / h, after which no visible changes occur. A synonym for the concept of exposure rate is the allowable dose in microR/h, the value of which was determined in clinical studies of various levels of complexity, including after world-famous man-made disasters. The level of normal radiation for a person can vary somewhat: acceptable is one that does not lead to tissue destruction.
Graphic designation
Are all types of radiation dangerous?
Radiation rate is a professional term that refers to the flow of ionizing radiation that a person is exposed to in everyday life or in an emergency. Permissible norms can vary, if only because alpha particles, fragments of destroyed atoms, elementary particles or photons can be the source of such a flow.
The role of ionizing radiation is played by flows that trigger a certain reaction, which is accompanied by the release of thermal energy and the emission of electrons (radiation).
The level of radiation is the breakdown of tissues under the action of free electrons, which is accompanied by the formation of free radicals. Even more precisely, it is an indicator of the intensity of the process, its ability to lead to an outburst of different strength and direction in case of deviation from the norm:
- Not all types of radiation are dangerous for humans. Under natural conditions, radiation simply does not have enough energy to lead to the final destruction of a strong cellular structure, equipped with nature's protective mechanisms.
- Studies have shown that ultraviolet and infrared rays, visible light and radio waves, although they are streams, but in natural conditions cannot cause significant harm to a person (within the normal range). This requires either an excess of the allowable amount, or an increase in intensity - a deviation from the norm.
- The dose of radiation is always a consequence of the passage through living tissues of electromagnetic or X-ray radiation, ions, neutrons, protons and other types of particles formed during the fission of the atomic nucleus.
Next to the power plant
Speaking of radiation, they mean ionizing radiation, leading to the destruction of cells, their loss of their usual functionality and rebirth. Mankind creates reservoirs and uses them for its own purposes, for example, at nuclear power plants, in engines. There, in extreme situations, radiation doses are immediately dangerous and deviant from the norm.
With x-rays or computed tomography, for a person in an apartment behind a monitor, they are small.
In these cases, the exposure rate (which does not pose a danger to tissues) is regulated using simple and affordable means of protection.
If we take into account that unstable atoms of a substance are capable of decaying in individual elements and leading to the appearance of ionizing radiation (radiation), then only those that can cause a flow with high energy should be considered the most dangerous. Weak ones do not destroy living cells, which means they are not dangerous to humans and do not exceed the norm.