Last Friday, the world cried in shock as an earthquake and subsequent tsunami hit Japan, leaving thousands dead, hundreds of thousands displaced and cities destroyed. The bad news did not stop there. Reports soon followed citing the risk of a nuclear meltdown at some of Japan's nuclear power plants. Local citizens were urged to evacuate in an attempt to protect them from exposure to harmful radiation. Employees at the plant made a desperate attempt to cool the nuclear reactors by flooding them with boron-filled sea water. At the time of the announcement, citizens thought they were leaving for a short period. But recent reports from Japan suggest the reaction in the plant would take significantly longer to control, and that the effects of the radiation are extending to a radius greater than 60 miles, far surpassing original estimates.
The term 'nuclear radiation' is enough to elicit fear in anyone. It brings to mind images of the mushroom cloud over Hiroshima, with the unparalleled amount of death and destruction it caused, and the nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl years ago. It also brings to mind some more positive connotations of the word radiation, because in medicine, controlled radiation is used to treat and cure different types of cancer. Most people, however, do not understand exactly how radiation affects us, and a fear of this unknown can increase apprehension exponentially in any situation.
There are three main types of radiation: alpha, beta and gamma. Alpha radiation comes from large particles containing both neutrons and protons. These particles come from elements with an atomic number greater than or equal to 82. This type of particle is large and can be stopped by something like clothing, and it usually only causes problems if internalized. Beta radiation is energy emitted from electrons. It does not travel far, and can be stopped by specific types of barriers. This is the type of energy released from nuclear plant accidents in the form of radioactive iodine. Gamma rays are high frequency electromagnetic waves, stronger than X-rays, which do penetrate into the body.
Radiation causes health problems by damaging the DNA in our cells. Beta radiation particles are so small that they can knock other electrons out of their normal orbits, creating something called a 'free radical.' Free radicals can then damage the molecular building blocks of DNA, eventually leading to mutations or cell death. These particles can affect any system they reach in our bodies, be it externally on the skin, or internally in our gastrointestinal, circulatory or lymphatic systems. There are, however, cells in our body that are more likely to be affected by mutations: cells that are already in the process of dividing. Such cells undergo changes more easily because as DNA replicates in the natural process of cell division, it goes through an error-prone process. Any changes made to the DNA code at this time will be 'saved' and passed onto future cells in that lineage. Examples of the types of rapidly dividing cells included in this category are the ones in our gastrointestinal tract and lymphatic system.
Thus, radiation can be both good and bad for our bodies. If the radiation very specifically targets mutated cells in our bodies, it can kill them in an attempt to treat or cure cancer. If the radiation is not controlled, the potential for causing new mutations in cells that were once normal becomes a major concern. That is why there is so much worry surrounding the situation in Japan. As NBC, CNN and various other news sources have been reporting with their expert interviews, the potential for the negative sequelae of radiation, i.e. cancer, is high in areas that are located in close proximity to nuclear power plants, adding one more long-term problem to the mountain of issues that the citizens of Japan currently are struggling with.
If you would like to help, the American Red Cross is currently accepting donations for disaster relief at http://www.american.redcross.org.
Rauda Tellawi is a University Medical student. She can be reached at r.tellawi@cavalierdaily.com.
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