Effect of Ionising Radiation

Direct Effect on Cell Structures

Biological damage caused by radiation is related to DNA damage as a result of
ionisations that can produce free radicals, break chemical bonds, produce new
chemical bonds and cross linkage between macromolecules and damage
molecules that regulat vital cell processes e.g. DNA, RNA. Cells can repair a
certain amount of this damage, but at high doses cell death can result causing
tissues to fail. If cells arent repaired byt continue to survive in their damaged
state, they can multiply uncontrollably, causing cancer.

Different tissues carrying in sensitivity to the effects of radiation, with the most
sensitive being blood-forming organs while the least is the nervous system.
Embryos are the most sensitive to radiation, and requires less exposure to cause
significant damage e.g. malformation and reduced brain function.

Indirect Effects

The radiation may interact with other ataoms or molecules in the cell
(particularly water) to produce free radicals (an atom of molecule carrying an
unpaired orbital election in the outer shell) that are able to diffuse far enough to
reach and damage critical targets. This is known as indirect actions of radiation.

When radiation interacts with water, it may break the bonds that hold the water
molecule together, producing fragments such as hydrogen (H) and hydroxyls
(OH). These fragments may recombine or may interact with other fragments or
ions to form compounds, such as water, which would not harm the cell. However,
they could combine to form toxic substances, such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2),
which can contribute to the destruction of the cell.

Short Term

Extreme doses of radiation to the whole body (around 10 sievert and above),
received in a short period, cause so much damage to internal organs and tissues
of the body that vital systems cease to function and death may result within days
or weeks. Very high doses (between about 1 sievert and 10 sievert), received in a
short period, kill large numbers of cells, which can impair the function of vital
organs and systems. Acute health effects, such as nausea, vomiting, skin and deep
tissue burns, and impairment of the bodys ability to fight infection may result
within hours, days or weeks. The extent of the damage increases with dose.

Long Term

There is evidence that a dose accumulated over a long period carries less risk
than the same dose received over a short period. Cataracts are induced when a
dose exceeding approximately 200-300 rem is delivered to the lens of the eye.
Radiation induced cataracts can take many months or years to appear. People
exposed to high doses of radiation have shown that there is a higher risk of
contracting cancer association with high doses of radiation exposure. Specific
types of cancer associated include leukaemia, multiple myeloma, breast cancer,
lung cancer and skin cancer. They can take 10 15 years or more to appear.

Australia and Ionising Radiation

Australian uranium miners are carefully monitored to ensure that their annual
exposure to ionising radiation is below excessively dangerous levels. The
maximum actual dose received is 10mSv/yr, but the typical dose rate receives is
around 3 5 mSv/yr.

In Australia the most common type of cancer caused by exposure to radiation is
skin cancer. It accounts for around 80% of all newly diagnosed cancers and
between 95% to 99% are caused by sun exposure (UV radiation). Australia has
one of the highest incidence rates of skin cancer.