Application of Ionizing Radiation to Environment Protection (original) (raw)
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The benefits of radiation were first recognized in the use of X-rays for medical diagnosis, then later with the discoveries of radiation and radioactivity. The rush in exploiting the medical benefits led fairly to the recognition of the risks and induced harm associated with it. In those early days, only the most obvious harm resulting from high doses of radiation, such as radiation burns were observed and protection efforts were focused on their prevention, mainly for practitioners rather than patients. Although the issue was narrow, this lead to the origin of radiation protection as a discipline. Subsequently, it was gradually recognized that there were other, less obvious, harmful radiation effects such as radiation-induced cancer, for which there is a certain risk even at low doses of radiation. This risk cannot be completely prevented but can only be minimized. Therefore, the balancing of benefits from nuclear and radiation practices against radiation risk and efforts to reduce the residual risk has become a major feature of radiation protection. In this paper, we shall be looking at the precautionary measures for protecting life, properties and environment against ionizing radiation.
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This consensus paper presents the results of a workshop held in Essen, Germany in September 2017, called to examine critically the current approach to radiological environmental protection. The meeting brought together participants from the field of low dose radiobiology and those working in radioecology. Both groups have a common aim of identifying radiation exposures and protecting populations and individuals from harmful effects of ionising radiation exposure, but rarely work closely together. A key question in radiobiology is to understand mechanisms triggered by low doses or dose rates, leading to adverse outcomes of individuals while in radioecology a key objective is to recognise when harm is occurring at the level of the ecosystem. The discussion provided a total of six strategic recommendations which would help to address these questions.
Radiation chemistry is the chemistry initiated by the interaction of high-energy photons and atomic particles with matter, so-called ionising radiation. As a method of generating free radicals for applications in general chemistry the most commonly used sources of ionising radiation are 60Co -rays, which are photons having energies of 1.17 and 1.33 MeV (1 eV = 1.6 × 10−19 J), or fast electrons from an accelerator with energies typically in the range 2-20 MeV. The dose absorbed by the material is expressed in grays (1 Gy = 1 J kg–1) and the dose rate in Gy s–1. In each case the result of the interaction of high energy particles with molecules is the ejection of a single electron, called a secondary electron which itself may have sufficient energy to cause further ionisations, but which rapidly (< 10−12 s) reaches thermal equilibrium with the liquid and becomes trapped as a so-called solvated electron (es –). In this way, stable molecules (M) are converted into solvated electrons and highly reactive free radicals (M): M Ms – (1) Pulse radiolysis experiments have provided clear evidence for solvated electrons in both
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Today, the approach towards radiological protection of the environment most considered by various national and international bodies, including ICRP, is favouring a focus on the concept of “reference organisms” (IUR, 2002; ICRP, 2007; Larsson, 2004). Evolving from traditional toxicology, this bottom-up approach is emphasizing individual organisms for several immediate considerations: 1) the requirement from environmental risk assessors to be pragmatic, therefore aiming at a straightforward practical approach for rapid and easy use, 2) ensuring consistency with the existing system for human radiological protection (also focused on the individual), and 3) the recognition that most scientific data available to date on radiation dose-effect relationships concern individual animal and plant organisms (UNSCEAR, 1996; Real et al., 2004). This has the merit of optimising the exploitation of the largest basic knowledge existing on the biological effects of radiation on life and ensuring consi...