Uses and Risks of Radiation

Ionising Radiation

Radiation is IONISING which means it can REMOVE ELECTRONS from atoms and turn them into IONS.

When the atoms in LIVING TISSUE are ionised, it can lead to:

• Tissue Damage
• Mutations to DNA
• Radiation sickness
• Cancer

The more a person is exposed to IONISING RADIATION, the more likely they are to get these symptoms.

Medical Applications of Radiation

Radiation is used for many different medical applications. Here are some examples:

Medical Tracers:

MEDICAL TRACERS are use to explore INTERNAL ORGANS.

They are radioactive isotopes like IODINE-123 which are introduced into the body via INJECTION or INGESTION.

These isotopes are absorbed by specific organs and emit gamma rays that can be detected by external detectors to monitor organ functions or detect abnormalities.

The isotopes used as tracers typically emit GAMMA radiation because it has a LOW IONISING POWER and HIGH PENETRATING POWER, meaning it ionises other tissues LESS, and EXITS the body without causing extensive damage.

These isotopes have a SHORT HALF-LIFE, meaning they will DECAY very QUICKLY. This means that they will emit A LOT of radiation but only for a SHORT amount of time.

Even though A LOT of radiation can be a risk to the patient, if only a SMALL amount of the isotope is used, it will LOSE its radioactivity very quickly, so the patient's EXPOSURE time will be shorter.

Radiotherapy for Cancer Treatment:

RADIOTHERAPY involves the use of high doses of radiation to treat CANCER.

Although radiation can CAUSE cancer, it can also TREAT it as it can KILL living cells.

GAMMA RAYS are directed at cancerous TUMOUR CELLS. The beam of gamma rays are ROTATED around the tumour to minimise exposure to healthy cells.

IMPLANTS that emit radiation can also be placed close to or inside tumours to maximise the effect on the cancerous cells while minimising exposure to healthy cells.

Risks and Benefits 

For some patients, the benefits of diagnosing and TREATING life-threatening conditions such as cancer significantly outweigh the SMALL RISKS associated with radiation exposure.

But PROLONGED EXPOSURE to radiation increases the risk of future health issues, so it’s essential to use radiation cautiously and only when the potential health benefits exceed the potential risks.