RADIATION AND MAN
External Exposure
While mankind has lived for probably millions of years in a naturally
radioactive environment,
it has only been since the creation of artificial
sources of radioactivity such as
bombs that
X-raymachines, atomic reactors, and nuclear
man-made radioactivity has presented an increased danger individually
or on a mass basis to man,
As discussed in this report,
external exposure from nuclear devices
or fallout from their explosion will be mainly considered, although the
effects are the same whether from bombs, reactor accidents, or medical
overexposures,
As mentioned before,
one peculiar quality of radiation is its ability
to “ionize,” that is, the ability of a particle to pass through material
and disrupt the atom arrangements.
Particularly dangerous in the area
of external exposure are neutrons and gamma rays,
and can actually pass through the human body,
atoms.
In effect,
since they are very penetrating
leaving in their path ionized
the thousands of these particles which pass through the
human body may disrupt hundreds or thousands of atoms comprising the molecules
of the body's cells--its basic building blocks,
In regard to low exposure to whole-body
is known.
(total body) radiation,
little
Most data about such exposure is limited to that of from 50 rads
up to thousands of rads.
From 50 to about 300 rads would be considered a sublethal dose within
30 days, although at the upper end it approaches the LD-50 range.
dependent upon available treatment.
death to occur;
This means that it is not likely for
however, within this range a number of "acute" or severe effects
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This is also