Table of contents:
- What is radiation?
- Ion radiation
- Non-ionic radiation
- How to deal with radiation hazards?
- 1. Keep a distance from radiation sources
- 2. Reducing the duration of radiation exposure
- 3. Reduces the chance of radiation ions to combine into the body
- 4. Using a protector
Without realizing it, our lives are surrounded by radiation. Starting from the environment, such as sunlight and radon gas in the house, to electronic goods that we use everyday. Is all of that dangerous?
Not all radiation is harmful to human health. With technological sophistication, radiation can also be used for various human purposes, such as for cancer treatment or for medical tests using X-rays. But still, we have to be careful with radiation exposure, because strong radiation exposure can be harmful to health.
What is radiation?
Radiation may be familiar to our ears, but rarely do we know exactly what radiation is. Radiation is energy that travels in the form of waves or small particles at high speed. Naturally, the radiation is in sunlight. Meanwhile, human-made radiation exists in the form of x-rays, nuclear weapons, nuclear power plants, and cancer treatments.
There are two types of radiation, namely ionizing radiation and non-ionizing radiation.
Ion radiation
Ion radiation can affect the atoms contained in living things, so exposure to this ionic radiation can pose a health risk by damaging tissue and DNA in genes. This way of damaging the DNA in the body's cells is how ionizing radiation can cause cancer.
Ion radiation can cause cell death or abnormality, either temporarily or permanently. Exposure to large amounts of radiation can cause illness and even death within hours or days. Signs of your radiation-induced illness include nausea, weakness, hair loss, sunburn, and reduced organ function. Ion radiation can also cause mutations in your genes, so you can pass them on to your child. This ionic radiation can be found in radioactive elements, cosmic particles from outer space, and x-ray machines.
Non-ionic radiation
You must be using and exposed to this non-ionic radiation every day. The electronic items you use actually produce non-ionizing radiation. We can find this non-ionic radiation in microwaves, cell phones, television stations, radios, cordless phones, including the earth's magnetic field, household wiring and other electrical equipment.
In contrast to ionic radiation, non-ionic radiation is not able to move electrons or ionize atoms or molecules, so this radiation is not as dangerous as ionic radiation. This radiation also has a much lower frequency than ionic radiation, so it may not be harmful to health. However, another theory says that exposure to non-ionic radiation in high frequency and strong enough can also cause serious problems.
How to deal with radiation hazards?
How severe the impact you can experience from radiation depends on how much your body absorbs the radiation from the source. The following are things you can control to minimize radiation exposure.
1. Keep a distance from radiation sources
The closer you are to the radiation source, the greater the radiation exposure you can receive. Conversely, if you are further away from the radiation source, the radiation you receive is much less.
2. Reducing the duration of radiation exposure
Just like distance, the longer you are exposed to radiation, allowing your body to absorb more radiation. As a result, the time you are exposed to radiation should be limited to a minimum.
3. Reduces the chance of radiation ions to combine into the body
This can be done by consuming potassium iodide (KI) immediately after exposure to radiation. This potassium iodide can help protect the thyroid from radiation. Why the thyroid? Radiation has a direct impact on the thyroid gland, thus damaging the ability of the thyroid gland to produce iodine, where iodine is a substance that is needed to form healthy DNA, immune function, metabolism, hormonal balance, and heart health.
Thus, consumption of potassium iodide can help counteract the radioactive effects of iodine. Potassium iodide may be effective in helping reduce radiation exposure by reducing the accumulation and storage of radioactive toxins in the thyroid. Consumption of potassium iodide can also reduce the risk of developing thyroid cancer.
4. Using a protector
The protection referred to here is to use an absorbent material to cover the reactor or other radiation sources, so that radiation emission to the environment can be reduced. This biological shield varies in effectiveness, depending on the material used to scatter and absorb radiation.
