yulius hermanto
Rising Health Consent about Fukushima
March 11, 2011, will be the day that japaneses gonna record that in their history just like the day of atomic bomb of hiroshima and nagasaki.
Japan was hit by 8.9 Ritcher scale of earthquake follow by tsunami, what devastating force of nature. One of the big disaster of decade after Aceh's Tsunami, and Haiti Earthquake.
Japan's disaster is more complicated than we though, eventhough the impact of earthquake to building is minimal. The explosion of Fukushima nuclear reactor makes the problems become complicated.
Because, our modern civilization is very traumatic to anything about nuclear radiation. Our history had already faced nuclear radiation two times, first japan atomic bomb, second the Chernobyl accident.
In this article, i won't discuss about the nuclear technology, but about the impact of radiation to our health.
Radiation
Radiation is energy in the process of being transmitted, which may take such forms as light, or tiny particles much too small to see. Visible light, the ultra-violet light we receive from the sun and from sun-beds, and transmission signals for TV and radio communications are all forms of radiation that are common in our daily lives. These are all referred to as 'non-ionizing' radiation.
Radiation particularly associated with nuclear medicine and the use of nuclear energy, along with X-rays, is 'ionizing' radiation, which means that the radiation has sufficient energy to interact with matter, especially the human body, and produce ions, i.e. it can eject an electron from an atom.
X-rays from a high-voltage discharge were discovered in 1895, and radioactivity from the decay of particular isotopes was discovered in 1896. Many scientists then undertook study of these, and especially their medical applications. This led to the identification of different kinds of radiation from the decay of atomic nuclei, and understanding of the nature of the atom. Neutrons were identified in 1932, and in 1939 atomic fission was discovered by irradiating uranium with neutrons, and this led on to harnessing the energy released by fission.
In order to quantify how much radiation we are exposed to in our daily lives and assess potential health impacts as a result, it is necessary to establish a unit of measurement. The basic unit of radiation dose absorbed in tissue is the gray (Gy), where one gray represents the deposition of one joule of energy per kilogram of tissue.
However, since neutrons and alpha particles cause more damage per gray than gamma or beta radiation, another unit, the sievert (Sv) is used in setting radiological protection standards. This unit of measurement takes into account biological effects of different types of radiation. One gray of beta or gamma radiation has one sievert of biological effect, one gray of alpha particles has 20 Sv effect and one gray of neutrons is equivalent to around 10 Sv (depending on their energy). Since the sievert is a relatively large value, dose to humans is normally measured in millisieverts (mSv), one-thousandth of a sievert.
Limiting exposure
Public dose limits for exposure from uranium mining or nuclear plants are usually set at 1 mSv/yr above background.
In most countries the current maximum permissible dose to radiation workers is 20 mSv per year averaged over five years, with a maximum of 50 mSv in any one year. This is over and above background exposure, and excludes medical exposure. The value originates from the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), and is coupled with the requirement to keep exposure as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) – taking into account social and economic factors.
Radiation protection at uranium mining operations and in the rest of the nuclear fuel cycle is tightly regulated, and levels of exposure are monitored.
There are four ways in which people are protected from identified radiation sources:
Limiting time. In occupational situations, dose is reduced by limiting exposure time.
Distance. The intensity of radiation decreases with distance from its source.
Shielding. Barriers of lead, concrete or water give good protection from high levels of penetrating radiation such as gamma rays. Intensely radioactive materials are therefore often stored or handled under water, or by remote control in rooms constructed of thick concrete or lined with lead.
Containment. Highly radioactive materials are confined and kept out of the workplace and environment. Nuclear reactors operate within closed systems with multiple barriers which keep the radioactive materials contained.
Effects of radiation
Our knowledge of radiation effects derives primarily from groups of people who have received high doses. The risk associated with large radiation doses is relatively well established. However, the risks associated with doses under about 200 mSv are less obvious because of the large underlying incidence of cancer caused by other factors. Radiation protection standards assume that any dose of radiation, no matter how small, involves a possible risk to human health. However, available scientific evidence does not indicate any cancer risk or immediate effects at doses below 100 mSv a year. At low levels of exposure, the body's natural repair mechanisms seem to be adequate to repair radiation damage to cells soon after it occurs.
Radiation effects to our health, depend on the time of exposure, dose/intensity of radiation, our body repair mechanism. Ionizing radiation interact with our body and causing health effects. Radiation also bring thermal energy thus effect will gives short-term effects especially at high dose.
Person that achieving high dose of radiation, will experienced thermal injury at short term that may cause death. Besides that high dose of radiation will cause serious cell death, that will give serious complication such gastrointestinal bleeding, and internal bleeding, and less potential to be rescue.
Mostly person experienced a radiation at low dose, thus will experienced any health effects at short-term, but will experience complication later on, at long-term.
Ionizing radiation will damage the cell, but the most crucial damage is in the DNA, once DNA is damaged, our body will undergo repair mechanism or self-destroy. But, some cell with unrepaired DNA damaged, that mutation of genetic materials will bring serious consequences later, such as cancer and bone marrow suppresion. This health effects is very difficult to predict since we can't place an accurate threshold of radiation. Besides the cancer, genetic mutation, also lead to congenital anomalies later on.
Nuclear Radiation is very harmful technology, but if we can use it wisely, it can give us a benefits, since the amount of the energy that come out from nuclear is far exceed other source of energy
"Pray for Japan"
I hope Japan's Government can solve the problems, and Japan can rise again like the sun.
Japan was hit by 8.9 Ritcher scale of earthquake follow by tsunami, what devastating force of nature. One of the big disaster of decade after Aceh's Tsunami, and Haiti Earthquake.
Japan's disaster is more complicated than we though, eventhough the impact of earthquake to building is minimal. The explosion of Fukushima nuclear reactor makes the problems become complicated.
Because, our modern civilization is very traumatic to anything about nuclear radiation. Our history had already faced nuclear radiation two times, first japan atomic bomb, second the Chernobyl accident.
In this article, i won't discuss about the nuclear technology, but about the impact of radiation to our health.
Radiation
Radiation is energy in the process of being transmitted, which may take such forms as light, or tiny particles much too small to see. Visible light, the ultra-violet light we receive from the sun and from sun-beds, and transmission signals for TV and radio communications are all forms of radiation that are common in our daily lives. These are all referred to as 'non-ionizing' radiation.
Radiation particularly associated with nuclear medicine and the use of nuclear energy, along with X-rays, is 'ionizing' radiation, which means that the radiation has sufficient energy to interact with matter, especially the human body, and produce ions, i.e. it can eject an electron from an atom.
X-rays from a high-voltage discharge were discovered in 1895, and radioactivity from the decay of particular isotopes was discovered in 1896. Many scientists then undertook study of these, and especially their medical applications. This led to the identification of different kinds of radiation from the decay of atomic nuclei, and understanding of the nature of the atom. Neutrons were identified in 1932, and in 1939 atomic fission was discovered by irradiating uranium with neutrons, and this led on to harnessing the energy released by fission.
In order to quantify how much radiation we are exposed to in our daily lives and assess potential health impacts as a result, it is necessary to establish a unit of measurement. The basic unit of radiation dose absorbed in tissue is the gray (Gy), where one gray represents the deposition of one joule of energy per kilogram of tissue.
However, since neutrons and alpha particles cause more damage per gray than gamma or beta radiation, another unit, the sievert (Sv) is used in setting radiological protection standards. This unit of measurement takes into account biological effects of different types of radiation. One gray of beta or gamma radiation has one sievert of biological effect, one gray of alpha particles has 20 Sv effect and one gray of neutrons is equivalent to around 10 Sv (depending on their energy). Since the sievert is a relatively large value, dose to humans is normally measured in millisieverts (mSv), one-thousandth of a sievert.
Limiting exposure
Public dose limits for exposure from uranium mining or nuclear plants are usually set at 1 mSv/yr above background.
In most countries the current maximum permissible dose to radiation workers is 20 mSv per year averaged over five years, with a maximum of 50 mSv in any one year. This is over and above background exposure, and excludes medical exposure. The value originates from the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), and is coupled with the requirement to keep exposure as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) – taking into account social and economic factors.
Radiation protection at uranium mining operations and in the rest of the nuclear fuel cycle is tightly regulated, and levels of exposure are monitored.
There are four ways in which people are protected from identified radiation sources:
Limiting time. In occupational situations, dose is reduced by limiting exposure time.
Distance. The intensity of radiation decreases with distance from its source.
Shielding. Barriers of lead, concrete or water give good protection from high levels of penetrating radiation such as gamma rays. Intensely radioactive materials are therefore often stored or handled under water, or by remote control in rooms constructed of thick concrete or lined with lead.
Containment. Highly radioactive materials are confined and kept out of the workplace and environment. Nuclear reactors operate within closed systems with multiple barriers which keep the radioactive materials contained.
Effects of radiation
Our knowledge of radiation effects derives primarily from groups of people who have received high doses. The risk associated with large radiation doses is relatively well established. However, the risks associated with doses under about 200 mSv are less obvious because of the large underlying incidence of cancer caused by other factors. Radiation protection standards assume that any dose of radiation, no matter how small, involves a possible risk to human health. However, available scientific evidence does not indicate any cancer risk or immediate effects at doses below 100 mSv a year. At low levels of exposure, the body's natural repair mechanisms seem to be adequate to repair radiation damage to cells soon after it occurs.
Radiation effects to our health, depend on the time of exposure, dose/intensity of radiation, our body repair mechanism. Ionizing radiation interact with our body and causing health effects. Radiation also bring thermal energy thus effect will gives short-term effects especially at high dose.
Person that achieving high dose of radiation, will experienced thermal injury at short term that may cause death. Besides that high dose of radiation will cause serious cell death, that will give serious complication such gastrointestinal bleeding, and internal bleeding, and less potential to be rescue.
Mostly person experienced a radiation at low dose, thus will experienced any health effects at short-term, but will experience complication later on, at long-term.
Ionizing radiation will damage the cell, but the most crucial damage is in the DNA, once DNA is damaged, our body will undergo repair mechanism or self-destroy. But, some cell with unrepaired DNA damaged, that mutation of genetic materials will bring serious consequences later, such as cancer and bone marrow suppresion. This health effects is very difficult to predict since we can't place an accurate threshold of radiation. Besides the cancer, genetic mutation, also lead to congenital anomalies later on.
Nuclear Radiation is very harmful technology, but if we can use it wisely, it can give us a benefits, since the amount of the energy that come out from nuclear is far exceed other source of energy
"Pray for Japan"
I hope Japan's Government can solve the problems, and Japan can rise again like the sun.
