Radiation Poisoning Prevention

When we talk about the deadly effects of radiation, the Hiroshima and Nagasaki nuclear bombing in the Second World War or the Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine (1986) immediately comes to our mind. The dangerous consequences of radiation poisoning are not hidden from us. Though there are no nuclear warfares nowadays, still, radiation poisoning is a condition that is usually seen due to this upsurge in the technology. It is not that only nuclear bombs emit radiations, in fact, electronic gadgets like microwaves, cell phones, computers, etc. all emit a certain amount of radiation. Radiation from television and computers is not high enough to cause any harm, however, if one is exposed to small amounts of radiation for long duration, the risk of getting cancer increases. That is why medical experts discourage over-dependency on technology.

Basically, there are two types of radiations, ionizing and non-ionizing radiation. Non-ionizing radiation is emitted from the natural sources and reaches us in the form of light, microwaves, radio waves and radar. Non-ionizing radiation does not cause much harm. Ionizing radiations however, are very harmful for us. These radiations have dangerous chemical effects on the body tissues and long exposures to them cause chronic diseases like cancer. Some of the sources of ionizing radiations are X-rays, gamma rays and nuclear bombardment or nuclear reactor accidents and medical testing equipment (in radiation therapy etc.).

Radiation Poisoning Symptoms
Long continued exposure to radiation can have an adverse effect on our health. Various factors contribute in increasing the intensity of the radiation poisoning effect, like the part of the body exposed, duration of the radiation and the source of radiation that has caused the problem. Depending on these factors, the severity of the case is decided. Vomiting, nausea, sores, skin irritation and dehydration are some of the common and most evident symptoms.

Radiation Poisoning Protection
As such, there is no cure or treatment for radiation poisoning and the only way to avoid the harmful effects of radiation poisoning is by following the prevention techniques, that have been mentioned below.

Decrease the Time Gap
The longer a human is exposed to the radiation, the more harm it will cause to his health and body and is therefore, a major concern for the medical experts. So, it is advisable to decrease the time gap of exposure to the radiation. Long exposures to x-rays increases the risk of cancer in the X-ray technicians and hence reducing the time gap is essential to reduce the exposure to radiation.

Lessen the Distance
Another crucial prevention step is to increase the distance between radiation source and the affected thing. Gamma rays are potentially harming when it comes to the distance, as they can travel larger distances. Alpha rays and beta rays have lesser energy and so they are unable to travel longer distances. It is mandatory that if a person is contaminated at a working site, then he should be immediately moved from the place. Generally, as a thumb rule, if we double the distance, the exposure to radiation is reduced by a factor of 4 and similarly halving the distance would increase the exposure by a factor of four.

Shielding the Exposure
The better the shielding around the source of radiation, lesser will be the exposure to the radiation. The quality of the shielding material is decided by its ability to prevent the radiations from reaching us. Alpha particles have the weakest energy to penetrate an obstruction and so light materials like paper and clothing can also prevent it. Beta particles have higher penetrative power and so a heavy clothing is required. The gamma rays, however, are possessed with immense energy and a lead shielding is essential to stop them.

These are some of the tips that can be useful in reducing the effects of radiation poisoning. There are various chemicals that doctors prescribe in case of radioactive contamination, however, it is to be understood that prevention is always better than cure.