Brief impact of radiation pollution on human health

1. Open elective paper
ENVIRONMENTAL PPOOLLLLUUTTIIOONN AANNDD MMAANNAAGGEEMMEENNTT
Seminar on
Impact of Radiation pollution on
HUMAN Health
DOS in Environmental Science
Presented by:
Nethravathi R
GN113011
III sem MSc.Genetics
DOS in Zoology
29th Nov 2014

2. RRAADDIIAATTIIOONN
Radiation is the complete process in which energy is emitted
in the form of particles or waves from a particular source,
transmitted through an intervening medium or space, and
absorbed by biotic & abiotic components of the environment.

3. TTYYPPEESS OOFF RRAADDIIAATTIIOONN

4. WWHHAATT IISS RRAADDIIAATTIIOONN PPOOLLLLUUTTIIOONN??
Radiation pollution is caused by radioactive substances which
emit invisible radiation released in the environment through
human activities.
Radiation is a fact of life - all around us, all the time
The radiation pollution causes are various human activities,
that add to natural radiation background (radiation
produced everywhere in the Universe in absence of human
activities).
Radioactive pollution of the atmosphere can be defined as
any undesirable change in the atomsphere due to increase in
the natural background of radiation arising out of human
activities involving the use of naturally occuring or artifically
produced radioactive substances.

6. SSOOUURRCCEESS OOFF RRAADDIIAATTIIOONN PPOOLLLLUUTTIIOONN
1. Nuclear explosions and detonations of nuclear weapons
2. Defense weapon production
3. Mining
4. Nuclear accidents
5. research procedures and wastes
6. medical procedures and wastes
7. nuclear power plants
8. TVs
9. computers
10. radio waves
11. cell-phones …..

8. NNuucclleeaarr eexxpplloossiioonn

9. NNuucclleeaarr ppoowweerr ppllaanntt

10. Procedures

11. NNuucclleeaarr wweeaappoonnss

12. UUrraanniiuumm mmiinniinngg

13. TTTTYYYYPPPPEEEESSSS O OOOFFFF R RRRAAAADDDDIIIIAAAATTTTIIIIOOOONNNN PPPPOOOOLLLLLLLLUUUUTTTTIIIIOOOONNNN
CCOONNTTIINNUUOOUUSS
RRAADDIIAATTIIOONN
PPOOLLLLUUTTIIOONN
OOCCCCAASSIIOONNAALL
RRAADDIIAATTIIOONN
PPOOLLLLUUTTIIOONN
AACCCCIIDDEENNTTAALL
RRAADDIIAATTIIOONN
PPOOLLLLUUTTIIOONN
Eg:
Workers in
radioactive
reactors
Eg:
explosion of
reactor
Eg:
Natural disaster

14. IIMMPPAACCTT OOFF RRAADDIIAATTIIOONN PPOOLLLLUUTTIIOONN
IIMMPPAACCTT OOFF RRAADDIIAATTIIOONN PPOOLLLLUUTTIIOONN
OONN HHUUMMAANN HHEEAALLTTHH
IINNSSTTAANNTTAANNEEOOUUSS
EEFFFFEECCTT
DDEELLAAYYEEDD
EEFFFFEECCTT
OONN HHUUMMAANN HHEEAALLTTHH
PPRROOLLOONNGGEEDD
• IMMEDIATE EFFECT EEFFFFEECCTT
• LONGER EFFECT
• NO SYMPTOMS
• ADVERSE EFFECT
Eg:
hiroshima and nagasaki
(August 1945)
killed at least 129,000
people
Eg:
hiroshima and
nagasaki
Effecting 3rd
generation
Eg:
Cancer

15. FFAACCTTOORRSS IINNFFLLUUEENNCCIINNGG TTHHEE IIMMPPAACCTT
OOFF RRAADDIIAATTIIOONN PPOOLLLLUUTTIIOONN OONN
FFAACCTTOORRSS IINNFFLLUUEENNCCIINNGG TTHHEE IIMMPPAACCTT
OOFF RRAADDIIAATTIIOONN PPOOLLLLUUTTIIOONN OONN
DDOOSSEE OOFF
RRAADDIIAATTIIOONN
OOBBSSEERRVVEEDD
BBYY TTHHEE BBOODDYY
SSEENNSSIITTIIVVIITTYY
OOFF TTHHEE
PPEERRSSOONN
HHUUMMAANN HHEEAALLTTHH
HHUUMMAANN HHEEAALLTTHH
DDUURRAATTIIOONN
OOFF
EEXXPPOOSSUURREE

16. FFIIRRSSTT MMEEDDIICCAALL FFIINNDDIINNGGSS
First skin-burn attributed to
radiation - 1901
First radiation induced leukemia
described -1911
First publication describing “a
clinical syndrome due to atomic
bomb” - 1946

17. RRAADDIIAATTIIOONN AANNDD HHUUMMAANN CCEELLLL
Primary target for cell
damage from ionizing
radiation is deoxyribonucleic
acid (DNA) in chromosomes
of cell’s nuclei

23. VIABLE CELL
1) Mutation repaired
UNVIABLE CELL
2) Cell dies
Stoch.effect
3)Cell survives but
mutated

24. Effects of Radiation oonn tthhee HHuummaann BBooddyy
(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.
(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.
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.

25. SSeevveerree MMeennttaall RReettaarrddaattiioonn
A study of about 1,600 children exposed in-utero at
Hiroshima and Nagasaki to various radiation doses and at
various developmental stages:
excess mental retardation was at a maximum between 8 and 15
weeks
Risk: 0.05% per mSv (8-15 weeks)

26. CCAANNCCEERR

29. CCHHEERRNNOOBBYYLL EEXXPPEERRIIEENNCCEE
Acute Radiation Syndrome and
Radiation burns (ARS)
2266..0044..11998866
at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power
Plant in Ukraine

34. HHEERREEDDIITTAARRYY EEFFFFEECCTTSS
In the absence of human data
the estimation of hereditary
effects are based on animal
studies
Risks to offspring following
prenatal exposure:
Total risk = 0.0003 -
0.0005% per mGy to the
first generation
Constitutes 0.4-0.6% of
baseline frequency
(UNSCEAR 2001
Report Hereditary
Effects of Radiation)

35. TYPICAL EFFECTS OOFF RRAADDIIAATTIIOONN OONN
EEMMBBRRYYOO
Death of the embryo or fetus
Induction of;
1. malformation
2. growth retardation
3. functional disturbance
4. cancer
Factors influencing the
probability of effects
1. Dose for embryo or foetus
2. Gestation status at the
time of exposure

36. QQUUEESSTTIIOONNNNAAIIRREE