RADIATION AND ACUTE RADIATION SYNDROME
Types of Radiation Not visible, not felt, no odor or taste particles (alpha) – 2 neutrons and 2 protons ejected from nucleus of unstable atom cannot penetrate skin inhalation & ingestion are dangerous – lethal to lung cells; scars & cancer particles (beta) – subatomic particles ejected from nucleus of unstable atom travels through skin – red and burns cell necrosis and cancer radiation (gamma) – photon emitted from nucleus of unstable atom high energy – travels through most substances (not lead) penetrates body necrosis and cancer Fission Bombs – fission reaction / nuclear blasts difficult and expensive Requires plutonium or uranium 1945 - Hiroshima and Nagasaki 1986 – Chernobyl Accident – core meltdown 1-megaton bomb on Detroit would kill 250,000 and injure 500,000 flatten 1.7 mile radius Hiroshima was a 15-kilotom bomb – 91,000 injured with 45,000 dead now – most are 5 – 10-megatons suitcase bomb would be 2-kilotons to 1-megaton Dirty Bombs – conventional explosive bomb with radioactive material incorporated as solid powder or pellets no fission reaction [‘radiological dispersion devise’] radioactive material would most likely come from hospitals, construction sites or food irradiation plants not from nuclear power plants or nuclear weapons sites explosion would probably be more lethal than radioactivity done to frighten and make buildings or land unusable response – leave area, enter building, remove clothes (bag), wash with soap and water limit exposure- increase distance from site & get shielding Not radiation but is a growing concern E-Bomb electronic and communication systems are devastated High energy microwaves – melts and fuses wiring Burns and brain damage if near electrical equipment Drop from cruise missile, artillery gun or rocket launcher
Acute Radiation Sickness (ARS)
Radiation toxicity or radiation sickness Severity depends on radiation exposure and severity of other wounds Major cause of illness – death of stem cells of certain tissues Immediate effects – fatigue, no motivation, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, & diarrhea Later – anemia, infections, bleeding, delayed wound-healing, loss of fluids and electrolytes With high doses – bone marrow and intestinal damage, cytopenia and hypotension Delayed effects – cancer and shortened life span Only exposure to skin – ( and X-rays) Damage to basal cell layer – inflammation, erythema, blistering, ulceration Hair follicles can be damaged – permanent hair loss
ARS - Must be Large amount of radiation - > 0.7 Gray or 70 rads Penetrating – high energy X-rays, gamma rays & neutrons Short amount of time & exposure of entire body for ARS to occur Three Classic ARS Syndromes 1. Bone Marrow Syndrome 0.7 to 10 Gy or 70 – 1000 rads bone marrow destroyed – hemorrhaging (platelets) and infections (WBCs) [50 % of people exposed develop syndrome and will die if not treated] 2. GI Syndrome 10 – 100 Gy or 1000 – 10,000 rads irreparable damage to GI and bone marrow infections, bloody diarrhea, dehydration & electrolyte imbalances death usually within 2 weeks 9; sometimes within hours) 3. Cardiovascular / CNS Damage >50 Gy or 5000 rads edema, vasculitis, diarrhea, nervousness & meningitis circulatory system collapses and fluid increases pressure in skull may have partial recovery for a few days death usually within 3 days Recovery – weeks to 2 years Should survive if exposure is < 100 rad Probably survive if 100 – 250 rad Impossible if exposed to > 500 rad Death usually within several months Decontamination – remove clothes (bag) and wash with soap and water Discard water used for washing Treatment – supportive - replenish fluids and balance electrolytes, stop bleeding and treat infections with antibiotics Prussian blue – dye that is used to remove internal radiation from ingestion & inhalation dye binds and keeps it from being absorbed – excreted Potassium Iodide – KI – protects thyroid gland from radioactive iodine Must be taken before exposure to I-131 131I Radioisotopes Uranium enriched – U-235 (700 billion years) nuclear fuels and weapons deleted – U-238 (4.47 billion years) shielding or armor-piercing weapons particles Ingestion and inhalation uranium also toxic –causes kidney damage before cancer occurs Pu-239 (24,400 years) nuclear weapons and research (space equipment) particles - Inhaled – lethal; ingested – not absorbed Co-60 (5.27 years) radiation therapy and skin - burns, ARS; ingested – most not absorbed I-131 (8.06 days) diagnosis and treatment of thyroid diseases and ingest and inhale – thyroid cancer and thyroid disease eye and skin burns Cs-137 (30.17 years) radiation therapy and calibration of geiger counters and ingest or inhale – soft tissue cancers skin – burns, ARS, death Sr-90 (29.1 years) treat bone tumors; used as power source since it gives off heat as it decays ingestion is concern – acts like calcium – into teeth and bones cancer of bones, bone marrow & soft tissue decays into yttrium (90Y) which decays by release eye and sin burns Y-90 always found with Sr-90
Plutonium Cobalt Iodine
Cesium
Strontium