mahatma gandhi
Radioactive Pollution
Radioactivity is a phenomenon of spontaneous emission of proton (a-particles), electrons (ß-particles) and ?-rays (short wave electromagnetic waves) due to disintegration of atomic nuclei of some elements. These cause radioactive pollution. Radiations are of two types ionising and non-ionising. Non-ionising radiations affect only those components which absorb them and have low penetrability. Ionising radiations have high penetration power and cause breakage of macro molecules.
Man-made sources of radiation pollution are mining and refining of plutonium and thorium, production and explosion and nuclear weapons, nuclear power plants and fuels and preparation of radioactive isotopes.
There are commonly three types of radiation, namely:
Alpha particles, can be blocked by a piece of paper and human skin.
Beta particles can penetrate through skin, while can be blocked by some pieces of glass and metal.
Gamma rays can penetrate easily to human skin and damage cells on its way through, reaching far, and can only be blocked by a very thick, strong, massive piece of concrete.
Sources and Methods
We can classify major sources that lead to radioactive pollution to the following categories:
Nuclear power plants
Nuclear weapon
Transportation
Disposal of nuclear waste
Uranium mining
Biological effects of radioactive pollution
The amount of injury caused by a radioactive isotope depends on its physical half-life, and on how quickly it is absorbed and then excreted by an organism. Most studies of the harmful effects of radiation have been performed on single-celled organisms. Obviously, the situation is more complex in humans and other multicellular organisms, because a single cell damaged by radiation may indirectly affect other cells in the individual. The most sensitive regions of the human body appear to be those which have many actively dividing cells, such as the skin, gonads, intestine, and tissues that grow blood cells
Radioactivity is a phenomenon of spontaneous emission of proton (a-particles), electrons (ß-particles) and ?-rays (short wave electromagnetic waves) due to disintegration of atomic nuclei of some elements. These cause radioactive pollution. Radiations are of two types ionising and non-ionising. Non-ionising radiations affect only those components which absorb them and have low penetrability. Ionising radiations have high penetration power and cause breakage of macro molecules.
Man-made sources of radiation pollution are mining and refining of plutonium and thorium, production and explosion and nuclear weapons, nuclear power plants and fuels and preparation of radioactive isotopes.
There are commonly three types of radiation, namely:
Alpha particles, can be blocked by a piece of paper and human skin.
Beta particles can penetrate through skin, while can be blocked by some pieces of glass and metal.
Gamma rays can penetrate easily to human skin and damage cells on its way through, reaching far, and can only be blocked by a very thick, strong, massive piece of concrete.
Sources and Methods
We can classify major sources that lead to radioactive pollution to the following categories:
Nuclear power plants
Nuclear weapon
Transportation
Disposal of nuclear waste
Uranium mining
Biological effects of radioactive pollution
The amount of injury caused by a radioactive isotope depends on its physical half-life, and on how quickly it is absorbed and then excreted by an organism. Most studies of the harmful effects of radiation have been performed on single-celled organisms. Obviously, the situation is more complex in humans and other multicellular organisms, because a single cell damaged by radiation may indirectly affect other cells in the individual. The most sensitive regions of the human body appear to be those which have many actively dividing cells, such as the skin, gonads, intestine, and tissues that grow blood cells