The Effects of Radiation on the Body

» THE EFFECTS OF RADIATION ON THE BODY Radiation can target many parts of the body. Symptoms vary, with severity depending on dosage or length of exposure. HAIR LOSS BRAIN Headache, nausea, fatigue, fainting, weakness MOUTH AREA Inflammation of mouth/throat, ulcers, worsening of tooth or gum disease, bleeding ENLARGED THYROID GLAND Thyroid absorbs radioactive iodine-131, High cancer risk, espcially for children LUNGS Bronchitis, inflammation (pneumonitis) and scarring (fibrosis) causing shortness of breath and dry cough HEART Rapid heartbeat, inflammation of heart with chest pain BLOOD Hemorrhaging, anemia, bleeding spots under the skin, low platelet count STOMACH Nausea, ulcers, internal bleeding, vomiting, and diarrhea SMALL/LARGE INTESTINE Ulcers, internal bleeding, bloody stool, diarrhea SKIN Burning, inflammation, permanent skin darkening, bruising, open sores, sloughing, bleeding BONE MARROW Depletion of white blood cells – up to 50 per cent within 48 hours - leading to high infection risk » HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH? The biological risk of absorbed radiation dose is measured in sieverts (Sv). TO PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE: onizing radiation dose from a flight from Paris to San Francisco 0.000085 Sy Normal exposure to radiationper year 0.0022 Sv A chest CT scan 0.01 Sv 100 chest x-rays SYMPTOM TIME TO ONSET 0.05 Sv Blood cell changes THE DANGER IN JAPAN: 0.5 Sv NORMAL: 0.0022 SIEVERTS Nausea Hours 0.7 Sv MAXIMUM DETECTED LEVEL AT FUKUSHIMA: 1.5 SIEVERTS Vomiting Hours 0.75 Sv Hair loss 2 weeks 0!9 Sv Diarrhea Hours 1.0 Sv Hemorrhage Weeks 4.0 Sv Possible death 2 months 1 to 2 weeks Destruction of intestinal lining, internal bleeding, death 10 Sv Hours Cognitive impairment, convulsions, death 20 Sv