Radiation from radiological events can damage cells and DNA, potentially causing harmful effects in tissue and interfering with cellular processes. Effects may be immediate or take years to appear, and can impact future generations through genetic effects. Radiation exposure can come from radioactive materials used in dirty bombs designed to disseminate radiation or from accidents involving nuclear materials. The Chernobyl disaster exposed many people to different types of radiation from the explosion and fire. Radiological events pose hazards through radiation sickness and increased cancer risks.

1. Javaris York
Radiation effects on cells and tissue
Radiation can change the structure of the cells, sometimes
creating potentially harmful effects that are more likely to cause
changes in the tissue. These changes an interfere with cellular
processes so cells might not be able to divide or they might
divide to much. Radiation has the potential to damage structures
inside the cell, The structure of most concern is DNA. DNA
contains the genetic information that allows each cell to
function,grow and reproduce. If dna is damaged from radiation
or some other agents, it has the capability to repair minor
damage. If the damage cant be repaired or is not repaired
correctly harmful affects may occur. If the cells are not very
important to the body operation it may not matter that they have
been damaged or killed. However if cells are in critical organs (
one's that keep us alive) and a large number of cells have been
damaged or killed that organ might not be able to function
normally. Some effects may occur immediately (days or
months) while others might take tens of years or even get
passed to the next generation. Effects of interest for the person
being exposed to radiation are called Somatic effects and effects
of interest that effect children are called genetic affects.
Protection from radiation
The best way to be prepared for radiation is to have
understanding about the radiation protection principles of time,
distance, and shielding.
Time: for people who are exposed to radiation in addition to
natural background radiation, limiting or minimizing the

2. exposure time frame reduces the dose from radiation source.
Distance:Just as the heat from a fire reduces as you move
further away, the dose of radiation decreases dramatically as
you increase your distance from the source.
Shielding: Barriers of lead, concrete, or water provide
protection from penetrating gamma rays Helpgamma raysA form
of ionizing radiation that is made up of weightless packets of
energy called photons. Gamma rays can pass completely
through the human body; as they pass through, they can cause
damage to tissue and DNA.and x-raysHelpx-raysA form of
ionizing radiation made up of photons. X-rays are capable of
passing completely through the human body. Medical x-rays are
the single largest source of man-made radiation exposure.. This
is why certain radioactive materials are stored under water or in
concrete or lead-lined rooms, and why dentists place a lead
blanket on patients receiving x-rays of their teeth. Therefore,
inserting the proper shield between you and a radiation source
will greatly reduce or eliminate the dose you receive.
https://www.epa.gov/radiation/protecting-yourself-radiation
http://www.radiationanswers.org/radiation-
introduction/radiation-exposure.html
William Foster
For this week’s post we were to chose a specific topic to right
about. Whereas CBRN is a great topic to talk about in its whole.
I have decided to talk about the Hazards of radiological events.
Coming into any type of attack that has happened throughout

3. history. From the Agent Orange to the attacks coming from
Anthrax. There are many hazards that came from this. But when
it comes to just radiological event hazards its sometime more
interesting than that. There are many radiological materials that
can be used to cause damage to many people in the world.
Are lesson this week uses the example of Jose Padilla
who showed up at the Chicago airport in 2002 and allegedly had
plans to carry out an attack using a dirty bomb. What exactly is
a dirty bomb? Well it is also known as Radiological Dispersal
Device. Which is a “device that may spray or otherwise
disseminate radioactive debris.” (Lesson Readings) Having a
radiological attack is very serious because many people could
fall ill and die from attacks that come from radioactive
materials.
If a radiological attack where to happen it could
cause many problems from getting sick to deformities. If an
attack was carried about and was on a large enough scale it
could even wipe out a population. But with that being said if a
radiological attack was to happen there would also be radiation
from that attack that could stay around for a long time.
When we think of radiological events happening
many bring up “Chernobyl” when it exploded and burned.
During that many individuals were exposed to a combined field
of neutron, gamma, and strong beta radiations. “(REATC, ch 1
pg 11) Even though this was nuclear accident radiation existed
after that accident. So you can say there are many hazards that
come from radiological events. Just by looking at this accident
alone someone being exposed to many different radiation
agents. If you where in an accident like this trying to get better
and accepting transplants may not have worked because many
host stem cells that where in the bone marrow were still there
from the accidents radiation that was entered into the blood
stream of the individual.

4. There are many hazards and many different attacks
that could happen from Chemical, Biological, Radiological and
Nuclear attacks. Radiation being entered into your blood stream
could kill you or just make you ill. This could cause you to
suffer for a very long time.
Radiological Events and Their Consequences By: Charles
Woodruff Jr.
http://www.cs.amedd.army.mil/borden/filedownloadpublic.aspx?
docid=45c8dcd5-8221-42b4-9dcc-e2ff0a5a4d9f
US Department of Health and Human Services. 2012. RRD.
http://www.remm.nlm.gov/rdd.htm.
Based on the course material for this week, research Hazards of
radiological events.
The expectation is that you will utilize course material, the
internet or outside material for the topic area that you select.
Then post your discovery as an overview assessment in the
Forum based on the material you found, state your findings and
postulations on the selected topic area (overview, summary,
risks and potential protection/defense), based in researched
facts. Do not discuss the nuclear aspects, only the radiological.
Please provide any support information required.
350 word minimum use APA format for citations

5. Welcome to Week 6 of the Chemical, Biological, Radiological
and Nuclear Threats to the Homeland course!
LESSON NOTES WEEK 6: Radiological Materials and Toxic
Industrial Radiological Hazards
This subject area is broad, fairly new in terms of threats, and
encompasses hazards resulting from dirty bombs, medical
waste, stolen radiological materials, and more. You should find
the instruction you learn this week both enlightening and
informative.
“When convicted terrorist Jose Padilla showed up at the
Chicago airport in May 2002 allegedly with plans to carry out a
dirty bomb attack, few people had ever heard of such a weapon.
The federal government since then has taken steps to prevent
the use of a radiological dispersal device, or RDD — the
technical term of a dirty bomb — but there are still widespread
misunderstandings of what these weapons do” (Magnuson
2008).
A Radiological Dispersal Device (RDD) or “Dirty Bomb” is a
device that may spray or otherwise disseminate radioactive
debris. According to the US Department of Health and Human
Services the full definition of a RDD, “is any device that causes
the purposeful dissemination of radioactive material without a
nuclear detonation” (DHHS 2012).
The design and type of a RDD is only limited by the
imagination of the group or person constructing it. Contrary to
popular belief a dirty bomb is more of “terror” device than
actually a device intended to cause harm, because as a whole

6. people are extremely afraid of radiation and the potential
harmful effects. As such, an RDD is a psychological weapon.
The construction of a dirty bomb as aforementioned is only
limited by creativity. It can be an explosive, one that sprays
radiological material or a point source material that is fixed and
puts out any given area with harmful amounts of radiation. The
ability to gather radiological material again is fairly easy
making this type of weapon more appealing to the potential
terrorist, or anyone who wishes to use a “silent killer” of
radiation to harm the public.
An explosion, or suspected dispersal of a RDD leads to certain
challenges for monitoring and clean up. The amount of exposure
that people have received the element that was used and dealing
with a potential for mass or gross decontamination, are
definitely challenges associated with this type of device.
Special monitoring devices such as Geiger Mueller counters will
be required.
From a terrorism standpoint, getting materials and existing
methods for bomb construction make this a lucrative weapon.
Also as stated this type of device is not just linked to terrorism.
There have been reports of angry co-workers in Japan using a
point source device to irradiate co-workers that are in direct
competition of them.
Dealing with the public’s reaction to this device is going to be
extremely challenging, the fear and
“worried well” will quickly overwhelm local
medical and public safety resources. Local and perhaps state

7. economies will be hit also because of the public’s fear to
congregate in large areas and go outside. Fear is the biggest
hazard associated. So far a RDD has not been used, as we all
know this does not mean it has not been planned for or even
tried. We must remain ever vigilant as always to spot this
potential hazard.
This week do some research into the case of Polonium
poisoning of KGB agent-turned- Kremlin critic Alexander
Litvinenko. The following websites are as good a starting point
as any.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/72582/Death-by-
Polonium-210.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/22/world/europe/alexander-
litvinenko-poisoning-inquiry-britain.html?_r=0
References:
ChemiCool. n.d. Plutonium Element
Facts. http://www.chemicool.com/elements/plutonium.html.
Magnuson, S. 2008. Public Still in the Dark When it Comes to
Dirty Bomb
Threat. http://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/archive/2008/J
une/Pages/Public2241.aspx.
US Department of Health and Human Services. 2012. RRD.
http://www.remm.nlm.gov/rdd.htm.