Radiation poisoning Classification and external resources
Radiation Hazard symbol. Hazard symbols are easily recognizable symbols designed to warn about hazardous materials or locations
ICD-10	T66.
ICD-9	990

Radiation poisoning, also called "radiation sickness" or a "creeping dose", is a form of damage to organ tissue due to excessive exposure to ionizing radiation. The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (most commonly known by the abbreviation ICD) provides codes to classify Diseases The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th Revision ( ICD -10) is a coding of diseases and signs symptoms abnormal findings S00-T14 - Injury (S00-S09 Head ( Superficial Injury of head ( Superficial injury of The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (most commonly known by the abbreviation ICD) provides codes to classify Diseases The following is a list of codes for International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. Image talkNew_radiation_symbol_ISO_21482svg for details --> Ionizing radiation The term is generally used to refer to acute problems caused by a large dosage of radiation in a short period, though this also has occurred with long term exposure to low level radiation. Radiation, as in Physics, is Energy in the form of waves or moving Subatomic particles emitted by an atom or other body as it changes from a higher energy Many of the symptoms of radiation poisoning occur as ionizing radiation interferes with cell division. This interference allows for treatment of cancer cells; such cells are among the fastest-dividing in the body, and may be destroyed by a radiation dose that adjacent normal cells are likely to survive. Cancer (medical term Malignant Neoplasm) is a class of Diseases in which a group of cells display uncontrolled

The clinical name for "radiation sickness" is acute radiation syndrome as described by the CDC. In Medicine, an acute disease is a disease with either or both of a rapid onset a short course (as opposed to a chronic course In Medicine and Psychology, the term syndrome refers to the association of several clinically recognizable features signs (observed by a physician The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (or CDC) is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services based in unincorporated ^[1][2][3] A chronic radiation syndrome does exist but is very uncommon; this has been observed among workers in early radium source production sites and in the early days of the Soviet nuclear program. In Medicine, a chronic disease is a Disease that is long-lasting or recurrent Radium (ˈreɪdiəm is a radioactive Chemical element which has the symbol Ra and Atomic number 88 A soviet (сове́т, "council" originally was a workers' local council in late Imperial Russia. A short exposure can result in acute radiation syndrome; chronic radiation syndrome requires a prolonged high level of exposure.

The use of radionuclides in science and industry is strictly regulated in most countries (in the U. A radionuclide is an Atom with an unstable nucleus, which is a nucleus characterized by excess energy which is available to be imparted either to a newly-created S. by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission). Nuclear Regulatory Commission (or NRC) is a United States government agency that was established by the Energy Reorganization Act in 1974 and was first In the event of an accidental or deliberate release of radioactive material, either evacuation or sheltering in place will be the recommended measures.

Measuring radiation dosage

The rad is a unit of absorbed radiation dose defined in terms of the energy actually deposited in the tissue. The rad is a largely obsolete unit of absorbed Radiation dose with symbol rad. Absorbed dose (also known as total ionizing dose, TID is a measure of the energy deposited in a medium by Ionizing radiation. In Physics and other Sciences energy (from the Greek grc ἐνέργεια - Energeia, "activity operation" from grc ἐνεργός One rad is an absorbed dose of 0. 01 joules of energy per kilogram of tissue. The joule (written in lower case ˈdʒuːl or /ˈdʒaʊl/ (symbol J) is the SI unit of Energy measuring heat, Electricity The more recent SI unit is the gray (Gy), which is defined as 1 joule of deposited energy per kilogram of tissue. SI derived units are part of the SI system of measurement units and are derived from the seven SI base units They are derived from SI basic units/defined The gray (symbol Gy is the SI unit of absorbed radiation dose. In Physics and other Sciences energy (from the Greek grc ἐνέργεια - Energeia, "activity operation" from grc ἐνεργός Thus one gray is equal to 100 rad.

To accurately assess the risk of radiation, the absorbed dose energy in rad is multiplied by the relative biological effectiveness (RBE) of the radiation to get the biological dose equivalent in rems. The Röntgen ( roentgen) equivalent in man or rem (symbol rem) Rem stands for "Röntgen equivalent in man (sic). For other uses of röntgen or roentgen, see Roentgen The röntgen or roentgen (symbol R) is a unit " In SI units, the absorbed dose energy in grays is multiplied by the same RBE to get a biological dose equivalent in sieverts (Sv). The sievert (symbol Sv is the SI derived unit of dose equivalent. The sievert is equal to 100 rem.

The RBE is a "quality factor," often denoted by the letter Q, which assesses the damage to tissue caused by a particular type and energy of radiation. For alpha particles Q may be as high as 20, so that one rad of alpha radiation is equivalent to 20 rem. Alpha particles (named after and denoted by the first letter in the Greek alphabet, α consist of two Protons and two Neutrons bound together into a The Q of neutron radiation depends on their energy. This article is a discussion of neutrons in general For the specific case of a neutron found outside the nucleus see Free neutron. However, for beta particles, x-rays, and gamma rays, Q is taken as one, so that the rad and rem are equivalent for those radiation sources, as are the gray and sievert. Beta particles are high-energy high-speed Electrons or Positrons emitted by certain types of Radioactive nuclei such as Potassium -40 X-radiation (composed of X-rays) is a form of Electromagnetic radiation. Gamma rays (denoted as &gamma) are a form of Electromagnetic radiation or light emission of frequencies produced by sub-atomic particle interactions See the sievert article for a more complete list of Q values. The sievert (symbol Sv is the SI derived unit of dose equivalent.

Acute (short-term) vs chronic (long-term) effects

Radiation sickness is generally associated with acute exposure and has a characteristic set of symptoms that appear in an orderly fashion. The symptoms of radiation sickness become more serious (and the chance of survival decreases) as the dosage of radiation increases. These effects are described as the deterministic effects of radiation. Determinism is the philosophical Proposition that every event including human cognition and behaviour decision and action is causally determined

Longer term exposure to radiation, at doses less than that which produces serious radiation sickness, can induce cancer as cell-cycle genes are mutated. Cancer (medical term Malignant Neoplasm) is a class of Diseases in which a group of cells display uncontrolled If a cancer is radiation-induced, then the disease, the speed at which the condition advances, the prognosis, the degree of pain, and every other feature of the disease are not functions of the radiation dose to which the sufferer is exposed. Prognosis (older Greek πρόγνωσις modern Greek πρόγνωση - literally fore-knowing foreseeing) is a medical term denoting the

Since tumors grow by abnormally rapid cell division, the ability of radiation to disturb cell division is also used to treat cancer (see radiotherapy), and low levels of ionizing radiation have been claimed to lower one's risk of cancer (see hormesis). See also Cancer A tumor or tumour is the name for a swelling or lesion formed by an abnormal growth of cells (termed neoplastic Radiation therapy (or radiotherapy) is the medical use of Ionizing radiation as part of Cancer treatment to control Malignant Image talkNew_radiation_symbol_ISO_21482svg for details --> Ionizing radiation Hormesis (from Hellenistic Greek hórmēsis "rapid motion eagerness" from ancient Greek hormáein "to set in motion impel urge on" is

Exposure

External vs internal exposure

External

External exposure is exposure which occurs when the radioactive source (or other radiation source) is outside (and remains outside) the organism which is exposed. Below are a series of three examples of external exposure.

• A person who places a sealed radioactive source in their pocket
• A space traveller who is irradiated by cosmic rays
• A person who is treated for cancer by either teletherapy or brachytherapy. For the 1962 Bruce Conner film see Cosmic Ray (film Cosmic rays are energetic particles originating from space that impinge on Cancer (medical term Malignant Neoplasm) is a class of Diseases in which a group of cells display uncontrolled External beam radiotherapy otherwise known as teletherapy, is the most frequently used form of Radiotherapy. Brachytherapy (from the Greek brachy, meaning "short" also known as sealed source radiotherapy or endocurietherapy, is a form of While in brachytherapy the source is inside the person it is still external exposure because the active part of the source never comes into direct contact with the biological tissues of the person.

A diagram showing a hypothetical animal being irradiated by radioactive contamination (shown in yellow), being irriadated by an external source (in red) of radiation

One of the key points is that external exposure is often relatively easy to estimate, and if the irradiated objects do not become radioactive (except for a case where the radiation is an intense neutron beam which causes activation of the object). This article is a discussion of neutrons in general For the specific case of a neutron found outside the nucleus see Free neutron. Neutron activation is the process in which Neutron radiation induces Radioactivity in materials and occurs when atomic nuclei capture Free neutrons It is possible for an object to be contaminated on the outer surfaces, assuming that no radioactivity enters the object it is still a case of external exposure and it is normally the case that decontamination is easy (wash the surface).

A diagram showing a hypothetical animal being irradiated by radioactive contamination (shown in red) which is present on an external surface such as the skin, this emits radiation (shown in yellow) which can enter the animal's body

Internal

Internal exposure is when the radioactive material enters the organism, and the radioactive atoms become incorporated into the organism. Below are a series of examples of internal exposure.

• The exposure due to ⁴⁰K present within a normal person. Potassium ( K) has 24 known Isotopes Three isotopes occur naturally 39K (93
• The exposure to the ingestion of a soluble radioactive substance, such as ⁹⁰Sr in cow’s milk. Strontium-90 (90Sr is a Radioactive Isotope of Strontium, with a Half life of 28 Cattle, colloquially referred to as cows, are domesticated Ungulates a member of the Subfamily Bovinae of the family Milk is an opaque white liquid produced by the Mammary glands of female Mammals (including Monotremes.
• A person who is being treated for cancer by means of an open source radiotherapy method where a radioisotope is used as a drug. A review of this topic was published in 1999. ^[4] Because the radioactive material becomes intimately mixed with the affected object it is often difficult to decontaminate the object or person in a case where internal exposure is occurring. While some very insoluble materials such as fission products within a uranium dioxide matrix might never be able to truly become part of an organism, it is normal to consider such particles in the lungs as a form of internal contamination which results in internal exposure. Fission products are the atomic fragments left after a large nucleus fissions. Uranium dioxide (2 an Oxide of Uranium, also known as urania or uranic oxide is a black radioactive crystalline powder The reasoning is that the particles have entered via an orifice and can not be removed with ease from what the lay person (non biologist) would regard as within the animal. It is important to note that strictly speaking the contents of the digestive tract and the air within the lungs are outside the body of a mammal.

A diagram showing a hypothetical animal (after it has evolved into one with an orifice and a lung) being irradiated by radioactive contamination (shown in red) which is present within its lung, this emits radiation (shown in yellow) which can enter the animal's body

Nuclear warfare

Japanese woman suffering burns from thermal radiation after a nuclear bomb explosion in 1945.

Nuclear warfare is more complex because a person can be irradiated by at least three processes. The first (the major cause of burns) is not caused by ionizing radiation.

• Thermal burns from infrared heat radiation. Infrared ( IR) radiation is Electromagnetic radiation whose Wavelength is longer than that of Visible light, but shorter than that of
• Beta burns from shallow ionizing radiation (this would be from fallout particles; the largest particles in local fallout would be likely to have very high activities because they would be deposited so soon after detonation and it is likely that one such particle upon the skin would be able to cause a localised burn); however, these particles are very weakly penetrating and have a short range. Beta particles are high-energy high-speed Electrons or Positrons emitted by certain types of Radioactive nuclei such as Potassium -40 Fallout is the residual radiation hazard from a Nuclear explosion, so named because it "falls out" of the atmosphere into which it is spread during the explosion Fallout is the residual radiation hazard from a Nuclear explosion, so named because it "falls out" of the atmosphere into which it is spread during the explosion
• Gamma burns from highly penetrating radiation. Gamma rays (denoted as &gamma) are a form of Electromagnetic radiation or light emission of frequencies produced by sub-atomic particle interactions This would likely cause deep gamma penetration within the body, which would result in uniform whole body irradiation rather than only a surface burn. In cases of whole body gamma irradiation (circa 10 Gy) due to accidents involving medical product irradiators, some of the human subjects have developed injuries to their skin between the time of irradiation and death.

In the picture on the right, the normal clothing that the woman was wearing would have been unable to attenuate the gamma radiation and it is likely that any such effect was evenly applied to her entire body. Beta burns would be likely all over the body due to contact with fallout, but thermal burns are often on one side of the body as heat radiation does not penetrate the human body. In addition, the pattern on her clothing has been burnt into the skin. This is because white fabric reflects more infra-red light than dark fabric. As a result, the skin close to dark fabric is burned more than the skin covered by white clothing.

There is also the risk of internal radiation poisoning by ingestion of fallout particles.

Nuclear reactor accidents

Radiation poisoning was a major concern after the Chernobyl reactor accident. The Chernobyl disaster was a nuclear reactor accident in the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in the Soviet Union. It is important to note that in humans the acute effects were largely confined to the accident site. Thirty-one people died as an immediate result.

Of the 100 million curies (4 exabecquerels) of radioactive material, the short lived radioactive isotopes such as ¹³¹I Chernobyl released were initially the most dangerous. A CURIE (short for Compact URI) is an abbreviated URI expressed in CURIE syntax and may be found in both XML and non-XML grammars The becquerel (symbol Bq) is the SI derived unit of radioactivity. Iodine-131 (131I, also called radioiodine, is a Radioisotope of Iodine which has medical and pharmaceutical uses Due to their short half-lives of 5 and 8 days they have now decayed, leaving the more long-lived ¹³⁷Cs (with a half-life of 30. Caesium-137 (also spelled cesium is a radioactive Isotope of Caesium which is formed mainly by Nuclear fission. 07 years) and ⁹⁰Sr (with a half-life of 28. Strontium-90 (90Sr is a Radioactive Isotope of Strontium, with a Half life of 28 78 years) as main dangers.

Other accidents

Improper handling of radioactive and nuclear materials lead to radiation release and radiation poisoning. The most serious of these, due to improper disposal of a medical device containing a radioactive source (teletherapy), occurred in Goiânia, Brazil in 1987. The Goiânia accident was an incident of Radioactive contamination in central Brazil that killed several people and injured many others External beam radiotherapy otherwise known as teletherapy, is the most frequently used form of Radiotherapy. Goiânia (gɔɪˈɑniə is the capital and the largest city in the state of Goiás. It is noteworthy that while the majority of accidents involve smaller industrial radioactive sources (typically used for radiography) a large number of the deaths which have occurred have been due to exposure to the larger sources used for medical purposes. For medical radiography see Radiology Radiography is the use of X-rays to view unseen or hard-to-image objects Here is a link to the Therac-25. The Therac-25 was a Radiation therapy Machine produced by Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL and CGR MeV of France after the

Ingestion and inhalation

When radioactive compounds enter the human body, the effects are different from those resulting from exposure to an external radiation source. Especially in the case of alpha radiation, which normally does not penetrate the skin, the exposure can be much more damaging after ingestion or inhalation. The radiation exposure is normally expressed as a committed effective dose equivalent (CEDE). The committed effective dose equivalent or CEDE is an estimate of the radiation dose to a person resulting from inhalation or ingestion of a given amount of radioactive substance

Deliberate poisoning

See also: Alexander Litvinenko poisoning

On November 23, 2006, Alexander Litvinenko died due to suspected deliberate poisoning with polonium-210. Alexander Litvinenko was a former officer of Russian Federal Security Service, who escaped prosecution in Russia and received a Political asylum in Alexander Valterovich Litvinenko (Алекса́ндр Ва́льтерович Литвине́нко ( 30 August 1962 – 23 November 2006 Polonium (pəˈloʊniəm is a Chemical element with the symbol Po and Atomic number 84 discovered in 1898 by Marie and Pierre Curie ^{[5] [6][7] [8] [9]}. His is the first case of confirmed death due to such a cause, although it is also known that there have been other cases of attempted assassination such as in the cases of KGB defector Nikolay Khokhlov and journalist Yuri Shchekochikhin where radioactive thallium was used. Nikolai Evgenievich Khoklov (1922-2007 was a KGB officer who defected to the United States in 1953 Yuri Petrovich Shchekochikhin (Ю́рий Петро́вич Щекочи́хин (June 9 1950 Kirovabad - July 3 2003 Moscow) was a Russian Investigative Thallium (ˈθæliəm is a Chemical element with the symbol Tl and Atomic number 81 In addition, an incident occurred in 1990 at Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station where several employees acquired small doses of radiation due to the contamination of water in the office watercooler with tritium contaminated heavy water ^{[10] [11]}

Prevention

The best prevention for radiation sickness is to minimize the dose suffered by the human, or to reduce the dose rate. Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station is a Canadian Nuclear power station located 2 km northeast of Point Lepreau, New Brunswick. Tritium (ˈtɹɪtiəm symbol or, also known as Hydrogen-3) is a radioactive Isotope of Hydrogen. Heavy water is water which contains a higher proportion than normal of the Isotope Deuterium, as deuterium oxide, D2O or ²H2O

Time

The longer that the humans are subjected to radiation the larger the dose will be. The advice in the nuclear war manual entitled "Nuclear War Survival Skills" published by Cresson Kearny in the U.S. was that if one needed to leave the shelter then this should be done as rapidly as possible to minimize exposure. Nuclear War Survival Skills or NWSS by Cresson Kearny is a Civil defense manual Cresson Henry Kearny (ˈkɑɹni — wrote several survival The United States of America —commonly referred to as the

In chapter 12 he states that "Quickly putting or dumping wastes outside is not hazardous once fallout is no longer being deposited. For example, assume the shelter is in an area of heavy fallout and the dose rate outside is 400 R/hr enough to give a potentially fatal dose in about an hour to a person exposed in the open. If a person needs to be exposed for only 10 seconds to dump a bucket, in this 1/360th of an hour he will receive a dose of only about 1 R. Under war conditions, an additional 1-R dose is of little concern. "

In peacetime radiation workers are taught to work as quickly as possible when performing a task which exposes them to irradiation. For instance, the recovery of a lost radiography source should be done as quickly as possible. For medical radiography see Radiology Radiography is the use of X-rays to view unseen or hard-to-image objects

Shielding

By placing a layer of a material which will absorb the radiation between the source and the human, the dose and dose rate can be reduced. For instance, in the event of a nuclear war, it would be a good idea to shelter within a building with thick stone walls (Fallout shelter). A fallout shelter is an enclosed space specially designed to protect occupants from radioactive debris or fallout resulting from a Nuclear explosion. During the height of the cold war, fallout shelters were identified in many urban areas. Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the A fallout shelter is an enclosed space specially designed to protect occupants from radioactive debris or fallout resulting from a Nuclear explosion. It is interesting to note that, under some conditions, shielding can increase the dose rate. For instance, if the electrons from a high energy beta source (such as ³²P) strike a lead surface, X-ray photons will be generated (radiation produced in this way is known as bremsstrahlung). Bremsstrahlung ( pronounced, from German de ''bremsen'' "to brake" and de ''Strahlung'' "radiation" i It is best for this reason to cover any high Z materials (such as lead or tungsten) with a low Z material such as aluminium, wood, plastic. See also List of elements by atomic number In Chemistry and Physics, the atomic number (also known as the proton Characteristics Lead has a dull luster and is a dense, Ductile, very soft highly Tungsten (ˈtʌŋstən also known as wolfram (/ˈwʊlfrəm/ is a Chemical element that has the symbol W and Atomic number 74 WikipediaNaming Wood is hard fibrous lignified structural tissue produced as secondary Xylem in the stems of Woody plants notably trees but also shrubs Plastic is the general common term for a wide range of synthetic or semisynthetic organic solid materials suitable for the manufacture of industrial products This effect can be significant if a person wearing lead-containing gloves picks up a strong beta source. Also, gamma photons can induce the emission of electrons from very dense materials by the photoelectric effect; again, by covering the high Z material with a low Z material, this potential additional source of exposure to humans can be avoided. Introduction When a Metallic surface is exposed to Electromagnetic radiation above a certain threshold Frequency, the light is absorbed and Electrons Furthermore, gamma rays can scatter off a dense object; this enables gamma rays to "go around corners" to a small degree. Hence, to obtain a very high protection factor, the path in/out of the shielded enclosure should have several 90 degree turns rather than just one. In Geometry and Trigonometry, a right angle is an angle of 90 degrees corresponding to a quarter turn (that is a quarter of a full circle

Reduction of incorporation into the human body

Potassium iodide (KI), administered orally immediately after exposure, may be used to protect the thyroid from ingested radioactive iodine in the event of an accident or terrorist attack at a nuclear power plant, or the detonation of a nuclear explosive. Potassium iodide is an Inorganic compound with formula K[[iodide I]] The thyroid is one of the largest Endocrine glands in the body Iodine-131 (131I, also called radioiodine, is a Radioisotope of Iodine which has medical and pharmaceutical uses A nuclear explosive is an Explosive device that derives its energy from Nuclear reactions Almost all nuclear explosive devices that have been designed and produced KI would not be effective against a dirty bomb unless the bomb happened to contain radioactive iodine, and even then it would only help to prevent thyroid cancer. The term dirty bomb is primarily used to refer to a radiological dispersal device ( RDD) a speculative Radiological weapon which combines Radioactive

Fractionation of dose

While Devair Alves Ferreira received a large dose during the Goiânia accident of 7. The Goiânia accident was an incident of Radioactive contamination in central Brazil that killed several people and injured many others 0 Gy, he lived while his wife received a dose of 5. 7 Gy and died. The most likely explanation is that his dose was fractionated into many smaller doses which were absorbed over a length of time, while his wife stayed in the house more and was subjected to continuous irradiation without a break, giving her body less time to repair some of the damage done by the radiation. In the same way, some of the people who worked in the basement of the wrecked Chernobyl plant received doses of 10 Gy, but in small fractions, so the acute effects were avoided. Chernobyl (as transliterated from the Чернобыль) or Chornobyl (as transliterated from Чорнобиль tʃɔrˈnɔbɪlʲ was a city in northern

It has been found in radiation biology experiments that if a group of cells are irradiated, then as the dose increases, the number of cells which survive decreases. Radiobiology (or radiation biology) is the Interdisciplinary field of science that studies the biological effects of ionizing and non-ionizing It has also been found that if a population of cells is given a dose before being set aside (without being irradiated) for a length of time before being irradiated again, then the radiation causes less cell death. Programmed cell-death ( PCD) is death of a cell in any form mediated by an intracellular program The human body contains many types of cells and the human can be killed by the loss of a single type of cells in a vital organ. The cell is the structural and functional unit of all known living Organisms It is the smallest unit of an organism that is classified as living and is often called For many short term radiation deaths (3 days to 30 days), the loss of cells forming blood cells (bone marrow) and the cells in the digestive system (microvilli which form part of the wall of the intestines are constantly being regenerated in a healthy human) causes death. A blood cell (also called blood corpuscle) is any cell of any type normally found in Blood. Bone marrow is the flexible tissue found in the hollow interior of Bones In adults marrow in large bones produces new Blood cells It constitutes 4% of Villus ( Latin: "shaggy hair" plural villi) can refer to Intestinal villus. In Anatomy, the intestine is the segment of the alimentary canal extending from the Stomach to the Anus and in humans and other mammals consists

In the graph below, dose/survival curves for a hypothetical group of cells have been drawn, with and without a rest time for the cells to recover. Other than the recovery time partway through the irradiation, the cells would have been treated identically.

Treatment

Treatment reversing the effects of irradiation is currently not possible. Anaesthetics and antiemetics are administered to counter the symptoms of exposure, as well as antibiotics for countering secondary infections due to the resulting immune system deficiency. Anesthesia, or anaesthesia (see spelling differences; from Greek grc αν- an-, "without" and grc αἲσθησις An anti-emetic is a drug that is effective against Vomiting and Nausea. In modern usage an antibiotic is a Chemotherapeutic agent with activity against Microorganisms such as Bacteria, fungi or Protozoa

There are also a number of substances used to mitigate the prolonged effects of radiation poisoning, by eliminating the remaining radioactive materials, post exposure.

Whole body vs. part of body exposure

In the case of a person who has had only part of their body irradiated then the treatment is easier, as the human body can tolerate very large exposures to the non-vital parts such as hands and feet, without having a global effect on the entire body. The hands ( med / lat: manus pl manūs are the two intricate prehensile multi- Fingered body parts normally located at the end of each arm of a The foot is an Anatomical structure found in many Animals It is the terminal portion of a limb which bears weight and allows Locomotion. For instance, if the hands get a 100 Sv dose which results in the body receiving a dose (averaged over your entire body of 5 Sv) then the hands may be lost but Radiation poisoning would not occur. The resulting injury would be described as localized radiation burn. A radiation burn is damage to the Skin or other Biological tissue caused by exposure to radio frequency energy or Ionizing radiation.

Experimental treatments designed to mitigate the effect on bone marrow

Neumune, an androstenediol, was introduced as a radiation countermeasure by the US Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, and was under joint development with Hollis-Eden Pharmaceuticals until March, 2007. 5-Androstenediol (androst-5-ene-3beta17beta-diol or 5-AED is one of two Androstenediols. Androstenediol is a term used to refer to two different Steroids with Molecular weights of 290 The Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute (AFRRI is a triservice laboratory chartered by the U Neumune is in Investigational New Drug (IND) status and Phase I trials have been performed. The United States Food and Drug Administration 's investigational new drug (IND program is the means by which a pharmaceutical company obtains permission to ship an In health care clinical trials are conducted to allow safety and Efficacy data to be collected for new drugs or devices

Some work has been published in which Cordyceps sinensis, a Chinese Herbal Medicine has been used to protect the bone marrow and digestive systems of mice from whole body irradation. Caterpillar fungus, Vegetable Caterpillar or Yarsagumba is a Chinese medicine product that is a result of a parasitic relationship between a Bone marrow is the flexible tissue found in the hollow interior of Bones In adults marrow in large bones produces new Blood cells It constitutes 4% of A mouse (plural mice) is a small Animal that belongs to one ^[12]

Table of exposure levels and symptoms

Dose-equivalents are presently stated in sieverts:

0. The sievert (symbol Sv is the SI derived unit of dose equivalent. 05–0. 2 Sv (5–20 REM)

No symptoms. The Röntgen ( roentgen) equivalent in man or rem (symbol rem) Potential for cancer and mutation of genetic material, according to the LNT model: this is disputed (Note: see hormesis). Cancer (medical term Malignant Neoplasm) is a class of Diseases in which a group of cells display uncontrolled The linear no-threshold model ( LNT) is a model of the damage caused by Ionizing radiation which presupposes that the response is Linear (i Radiation hormesis (also called Radiation homeostasis) is the Hypothesis that chronic low doses of Ionizing radiation are beneficial stimulating repair A few researchers contend that low dose radiation may be beneficial. ^[13][14][15] 50 mSv is the yearly federal limit for radiation workers in the United States. In the UK the yearly limit for a classified radiation worker is 20 mSv. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located In Canada, the single-year maximum is 50 mSv, but the maximum 5-year dose is only 100 mSv. Company limits are usually stricter so as not to violate federal limits. ^[16]

0. 2–0. 5 Sv (20–50 REM)

No noticeable symptoms. Red blood cell count decreases temporarily. Red blood cells are the most common type of Blood cell and the Vertebrate body's principal means of delivering Oxygen to the body tissues via the Blood

0. 5–1 Sv (50–100 REM)

Mild radiation sickness with headache and increased risk of infection due to disruption of immunity cells. Temporary male sterility is possible.

1–2 Sv (100–200 REM)

Light radiation poisoning, 10% fatality after 30 days (LD 10/30). A lethal dose (LD is an indication of the Lethality of a given substance or type of Radiation. Typical symptoms include mild to moderate nausea (50% probability at 2 Sv), with occasional vomiting, beginning 3 to 6 hours after irradiation and lasting for up to one day. Vomiting (also called throwing up, emesis) is the forceful expulsion of the contents of one's Stomach through the Mouth and sometimes the This is followed by a 10 to 14 day latent phase, after which light symptoms like general illness and fatigue appear (50% probability at 2 Sv). The immune system is depressed, with convalescence extended and increased risk of infection. An immune system is a collection of mechanisms within an Organism that protects against Disease by identifying and killing Pathogens and Tumor Temporary male sterility is common. Spontaneous abortion or stillbirth will occur in pregnant women. Miscarriage or spontaneous abortion is the natural or spontaneous end of a Pregnancy at a stage where the embryo or fetus is incapable of surviving generally defined A stillbirth occurs when a Fetus which has died in the Uterus or during labor or delivery exits a Woman 's body

2–3 Sv (200–300 REM)

Moderate radiation poisoning, 35% fatality after 30 days (LD 35/30). A lethal dose (LD is an indication of the Lethality of a given substance or type of Radiation. Nausea is common (100% at 3 Sv), with 50% risk of vomiting at 2. 8 Sv. Symptoms onset at 1 to 6 hours after irradiation and last for 1 to 2 days. After that, there is a 7 to 14 day latent phase, after which the following symptoms appear: loss of hair all over the body (50% probability at 3 Sv), fatigue and general illness. There is a massive loss of leukocytes (white blood cells), greatly increasing the risk of infection. Permanent female sterility is possible. Convalescence takes one to several months. Convalescence is the gradual recovery of Health and strength after Illness.

3–4 Sv (300–400 REM)

Severe radiation poisoning, 50% fatality after 30 days (LD 50/30). A lethal dose (LD is an indication of the Lethality of a given substance or type of Radiation. Other symptoms are similar to the 2–3 Sv dose, with uncontrollable bleeding in the mouth, under the skin and in the kidneys (50% probability at 4 Sv) after the latent phase.

4–6 Sv (400–600 REM)

Acute radiation poisoning, 60% fatality after 30 days (LD 60/30). A lethal dose (LD is an indication of the Lethality of a given substance or type of Radiation. Fatality increases from 60% at 4. 5 Sv to 90% at 6 Sv (unless there is intense medical care). Symptoms start half an hour to two hours after irradiation and last for up to 2 days. After that, there is a 7 to 14 day latent phase, after which generally the same symptoms appear as with 3-4 Sv irradiation, with increased intensity. Female sterility is common at this point. Convalescence takes several months to a year. The primary causes of death (in general 2 to 12 weeks after irradiation) are infections and internal bleeding. Internal bleeding is Bleeding occurring inside the Body. It can be a serious Medical emergency depending on where it occurs (e

6–10 Sv (600–1,000 REM)

Acute radiation poisoning, near 100% fatality after 14 days (LD 100/14). A lethal dose (LD is an indication of the Lethality of a given substance or type of Radiation. Survival depends on intense medical care. Bone marrow is nearly or completely destroyed, so a bone marrow transplant is required. Bone marrow is the flexible tissue found in the hollow interior of Bones In adults marrow in large bones produces new Blood cells It constitutes 4% of Gastric and intestinal tissue are severely damaged. Symptoms start 15 to 30 minutes after irradiation and last for up to 2 days. Subsequently, there is a 5 to 10 day latent phase, after which the person dies of infection or internal bleeding. Internal bleeding is Bleeding occurring inside the Body. It can be a serious Medical emergency depending on where it occurs (e Recovery would take several years and probably would never be complete.

Devair Alves Ferreira received a dose of approximately 7. 0 Sv (700 REM) during the Goiânia accident and survived, partially due to his fractionated exposure. The Goiânia accident was an incident of Radioactive contamination in central Brazil that killed several people and injured many others Experiments in Radiation biology have found that as the Absorbed dose of Radiation increases the number of cells which survive decreases

10–50 Sv (1,000–5,000 REM)

The mouth of a man who has suffered a 10 to 20 Gy dose 21 days after the exposure, note that damage to normal skin, the lips and the tongue can be seen

Acute radiation poisoning, 100% fatality after 7 days (LD 100/7). A lethal dose (LD is an indication of the Lethality of a given substance or type of Radiation. An exposure this high leads to spontaneous symptoms after 5 to 30 minutes. After powerful fatigue and immediate nausea caused by direct activation of chemical receptors in the brain by the irradiation, there is a period of several days of comparative well-being, called the latent (or "walking ghost") phase. The walking ghost phase of Radiation poisoning is a period of apparent health lasting for hours or days following a dose of 10–50 Sieverts of Radiation After that, cell death in the gastric and intestinal tissue, causing massive diarrhea, intestinal bleeding and loss of water, leads to water-electrolyte imbalance. In Medicine, diarrhea, also spelled diarrhoea (see spelling differences) is frequent loose or liquid Bowel movements Acute diarrhea Death sets in with delirium and coma due to breakdown of circulation. Delirium is an acute and relatively sudden (developing over hours to days decline in attention-focus perception and Cognition. Death is currently inevitable; the only treatment that can be offered is pain therapy. Pain management (also called pain medicine is the medical discipline concerned with the relief of Pain.

Louis Slotin was exposed to approximately 21 Sv in a criticality accident on 21 May 1946, and died nine days later on 30 May. Louis Alexander Slotin (December 1 1910 – May 30 1946 was a Canadian Physicist and Chemist who took part in the Manhattan Project. A criticality accident, sometimes referred to as an excursion or a power excursion, occurs when a Nuclear chain reaction accidentally occurs in Fissile

More than 50 Sv (>5,000 REM)

A worker receiving 100 Sv (10,000 REM) in an accident at Wood River, Rhode Island, USA on 24 July 1964 survived for 49 hours after exposure, and an operator receiving between 60 and 180 Sv (18,000 REM) to his upper body in an accident at Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA on 30 December 1958 survived for 36 hours; details of this accident can be found on page 16 (page 30 in the PDF version) of Los Alamos' 2000 Review of Criticality Accidents. Events 1132 - Battle of Nocera between Ranulf II of Alife and Roger II of Sicily. Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. Events 1460 - Wars of the Roses: Battle of Wakefield. 1816 - The Treaty of St Year 1958 ( MCMLVIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[17]

References

Further reading

• Michihiko Hachiya, Hiroshima Diary (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina, 1955), ISBN 0-8078-4547-7. Michihiko Hachiya (1903-1980 was a Japanese medical practitioner who survived the Hiroshima bombing in 1945 and kept a diary of his experience
• John Hersey, Hiroshima (New York: Vintage, 1946, 1985 new chapter), ISBN 0-679-72103-7. John Richard Hersey ( June 17, 1914 – March 24, 1993) was a Pulitzer Prize-winning American Writer and journalist Hiroshima (ISBN 0-679-72103-7 is the title of a Magazine article written by Pulitzer Prize winner John Hersey that appeared in
• Ibuse Masuji, Black Rain (1969) ISBN 0-87011-364-X
• Ernest J. Sternglass, Secret Fallout: low-level radiation from Hiroshima to Three-Mile Island (1981) ISBN 0-07-061242-0 (online)
• Norman Solomon, Harvey Wasserman Killing Our Own: The Disaster of America's Experience with Atomic Radiation, 1945-1982, New York: Dell, 1982. Ernest J Sternglass (born 1923 Berlin) is a PhD American Physicist and author best known for his controversial research on the health risks of Norman Solomon (born 1951 is an United States Journalist, media critic and antiwar activist. Harvey Franklin Wasserman is an author journalist and advocate for Renewable energy. ISBN 0-385-28537-X, ISBN 0-385-28536-1, ISBN 0-440-04567-3 (online)

See also

• Hibakusha (Japanese atomic bomb survivors)
• Radioactive quackery
• List of military nuclear accidents
• List of civilian nuclear accidents

External links

• Radiation accidents with multi-organ failure in the United States
• List of radiation accidents and other events causing radiation casualties
• The criticality accident in Sarov, International Atomic Energy Agency, 2001 — well documented account of the biological effects of a criticality accident
• The Center for Disease Control's fact sheet on Acute Radiation Syndrome
• Therac-25 computerized radiation therapy machine accidents
• 50-KT to 1-MT surface burst thermal burns and radiation doses