How Radiation Exposure Effects Health

By Suparna Chakaraborthy

Wednesday, March 16, 2011, 11:26

The Northern Japan Tsunami Earthquake released the biggest threat to the World. The Tsunami has directly affected the biggest Nuclear plant in Fukushima, which has led to the escape of spikes of radiation, heralding the biggest threat to human health. Rescue workers and authorities reportedly, have evacuated people within 12 miles and have warned radiation health risks to people within 20 miles. The biggest threat now is about the radiation meltdown, which is the mixing of the radiation with the water mass. It can cause mass destruction. Till now reports claim that the nuclear radiation in Japan is spreading fast as it gets dissolved in the air.

Effect Of Radiation Exposure To Human Health -

The radiation exposure from the Japan nuclear plant is the Ionizing radiation. Ionizing radiation is harmful to human health as it breaks down the chemical bonds and also increases cancer risks. One of the first threats of radiation to human health is that of Thyroid Cancer. The initial symptom of radiation exposure is nausea, fatigue, hair loss, diarrhea. A more severe exposure leads to the destruction of intestinal lining and damage of the central nervous system, which might even lead to death. The exposure in Fukushima have been measured to have risen to 400,000 microsieverts in just an hour.

There are two kinds effects of radiation exposure to human health -

1.Stochastic Effects – The stochatic health effect of radiation to human health is when an individual is facing severe exposure to radiation. At this time cancer remains one of the biggest threats. Cancer is the uncontrolled cell growth. Raditaion exposure can cause changes in the DNA, which helps in repairing and replacing damaged cells. There are two kinds of mutation which takes place at this time – Teratogenic mutation and Genetic mutation. Teratogenic mutation effects the person exposed to Trationtion and Genetic mutation passes on the effect to the following generation.

2.Non-Stochastic Effects – Short exposure to high level of radiation has the non-stochastic effect on health. Though it does not have cancerous effects, it causes other health problems like changes in blood chemistry, hair loss, nausea, hemorrhage, nervous break down etc. Continuous suffering due to Non-Stochastic effects may also cause death.

Children health is worst effected by radiation exposure. Children are at a growing age, where the process of cell diving is much more. When radiation hinders the process of cell growth, physical and mental development can be damaged. When radiation effects the fetus, the result is birth of a child with smaller brain size, poorly formed organs, slow growth and mental retardation.