Radiation is energy that travels in the form of waves or high-speed particles. It occurs naturally in sunlight and sound waves. Man-made radiation is used in X-rays, nuclear weapons, nuclear power plants and cancer treatment.
If you are exposed to small amounts of radiation over a long time, it raises your risk of cancer. It can also cause mutations in your genes, which you could pass on to any children you have after the exposure. A lot of radiation over a short period, such as from a radiation emergency, can cause burns or radiation sickness. Symptoms of radiation sickness include nausea, weakness, hair loss, skin burns and reduced organ function. If the exposure is large enough, it can cause premature aging or even death. You may be able to take medicine to reduce the radioactive material in your body.
Environmental Protection Agency
- Calculate Your Radiation Dose(Environmental Protection Agency) - http://www.epa.gov/radiation/understand/calculate.html
- RadTown USA(Environmental Protection Agency) - http://www.epa.gov/radtown/
- Understanding Radiation(Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and Radiation) - http://www.epa.gov/radiation/understand/
- Biological Effects of Radiation(U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission) - http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fact-sheets/bio-effects-radiation.html
- Radiation Protection(U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission) - http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/radiation.html
- Radiation Sickness(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/radiation-sickness/DS00432/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
- Radiation: Risks and Realities(Environmental Protection Agency) - Large PDF file - http://www.epa.gov/radiation/docs/402-k-07-006.pdf
- Wine Compound May Protect against Radiation Exposure(09/23/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_69632.html
- Facts about DTPA (Diethylenetriaminepentaacetate)(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.bt.cdc.gov/radiation/dtpa.asp
- Facts about Neupogen®(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.bt.cdc.gov/radiation/neupogenfacts.asp
- Potassium Iodide (KI)(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.bt.cdc.gov/radiation/ki.asp
- Prussian Blue(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.bt.cdc.gov/radiation/prussianblue.asp
- Estimating Risk(Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and Radiation) - http://www.epa.gov/radiation/understand/risk.html
- Radiation Protection Basics(Environmental Protection Agency) - http://www.epa.gov/radiation/understand/protection_basics.html
- Understanding Radiation: Exposure Pathways(Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and Radiation) - http://www.epa.gov/radiation/understand/pathways.html
- About TENORM (Technologically Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials)(Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and Radiation) - http://www.epa.gov/rpdweb00/tenorm/about.html
- Acute Radiation Syndrome(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.bt.cdc.gov/radiation/ars.asp
- Basic Information about Radionuclides in Drinking Water(Environmental Protection Agency) - http://www.epa.gov/safewater/radionuclides/basicinformation.html
- Commonly Encountered Radionuclides(Environmental Protection Agency) - http://www.epa.gov/radiation/radionuclides/
- Consumer Products Containing Radioactive Materials(Health Physics Society) - Links to PDF - http://hps.org/documents/consumerproducts.pdf
- Gamma Rays(Environmental Protection Agency) - http://www.epa.gov/radiation/understand/gamma.html
- Ionizing Radiation(Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and Radiation) - Large PDF file - http://www.epa.gov/radiation/docs/402-f-06-061.pdf
- Naturally-Occurring Radiation(Environmental Protection Agency) - http://www.epa.gov/radiation/natural-radiation-overview.html
- Plutonium(Environmental Protection Agency) - http://www.epa.gov/radiation/radionuclides/plutonium.html
-
Radiation Exposure in X-Ray Examinations(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/safety/index.cfm?pg=sfty_xray
Also available in Spanish http://www.radiologyinfo.org/sp/safety/index.cfm?pg=sfty_xray
- Radioactive Isotopes(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.bt.cdc.gov/radiation/isotopes/index.asp
- Radioactive Materials in Antiques(Environmental Protection Agency) - http://www.epa.gov/radtown/antiques.html
- Sealed Radioactive Sources(Environmental Protection Agency) - http://www.epa.gov/radiation/source-reduction-management/sources.html
- Smoke Detectors and Radiation(Environmental Protection Agency) - http://www.epa.gov/radiation/sources/smoke_alarm.html
- Tanning Salons(Health Physics Society) - Links to PDF - http://hps.org/documents/Tanning_Salons_Fact_Sheet.pdf
- Technetium-99(Environmental Protection Agency) - http://www.epa.gov/radiation/radionuclides/technetium.html
- Uranium(Environmental Protection Agency) - http://www.epa.gov/radiation/radionuclides/uranium.html
- We Want You to Know about Television Radiation(Center for Devices and Radiological Health) - http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/consumer/TVRad.html
- Ask the Experts in Radiation Safety: Questions and Answers(Health Physics Society) - http://hps.org/publicinformation/ate/
- Cancer Among Military Personnel Exposed to Nuclear Weapons(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_1_3x_Cancer_Among_Military_Personnel_Exposed_to_Nuclear_Weapons.asp?
- Food Irradiation(Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and Radiation) - http://www.epa.gov/radiation/sources/food_irrad.html
- Laser Hazards(Occupational Safety and Health Administration) - http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/laserhazards/
- Mail Irradiation(Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and Radiation) - http://www.epa.gov/radiation/sources/mail_irrad.html
-
Nasopharyngeal Radium Irradiation (NRI) and Cancer
(National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/pressreleases/NRI
-
Nuclear Radiation and the Thyroid(American Thyroid Association) - Links to PDF - http://www.thyroid.org/patients/brochures/NuclearRadiation_brochure.pdf
Also available in Spanish http://www.thyroid.org/patients/patient_brochures/spanish/radiacion_nuclear_y_la_tirodes.html
- Radiation Exposure and Cancer(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_1_3X_Radiation_Exposure_and_Cancer.asp
- Radiation Measurement(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.bt.cdc.gov/radiation/measurement.asp
- Radiation Symbols(Environmental Protection Agency) - http://www.epa.gov/radiation/understand/symbols.html
- Calculate Your Radiation Dose(Environmental Protection Agency) - http://www.epa.gov/radiation/understand/calculate.html
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Induction of biliary cholangiocarcinoma cell apoptosis by 103Pd cholangial radioactive... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18706251&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: A role for topoisomerase II alpha in the formation of... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18665175&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Effect of separase depletion on ionizing radiation-induced cell cycle checkpoints... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18616699&tool=MedlinePlus
- Radiation Exposure -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=radiation,ionizing[majr]+NOT+(X-rays[majr]+OR+food+irradiation[mh]+OR+radiotherapy[mh])+AND+english[la]+AND+humans+[mh]+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- Radiation pollution -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=radioactive+pollutants[majr]+NOT+radon[mh]+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- Acronyms of Radiation(Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and Radiation) - http://www.epa.gov/radiation/glossary/acronyms.html
- Glossary of Radiological Terms(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.bt.cdc.gov/radiation/glossary.asp
- Radiation Glossary(Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and Radiation) - http://www.epa.gov/radiation/glossary/
- Environmental Protection Agency Regional Offices(Environmental Protection Agency) - http://www.epa.gov/epahome/regions.htm
- Radioactively Contaminated NPL Sites(Environmental Protection Agency) - http://www.epa.gov/radiation/cleanup/npl_sites.html
- Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and Radiation - http://www.epa.gov/oar/
- National Center for Environmental Health(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/
-
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences - http://www.niehs.nih.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://www.niehs.nih.gov/about/community/espanol/
- U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission - http://www.nrc.gov/
- Radiation Protection: Basic Information(Environmental Protection Agency) - http://www.epa.gov/radiation/basic/index.html
- Home Preparation Procedure for Emergency Administration of Potassium Iodide Tablets to Infants and Small Children(Center for Drug Evaluation and Research) - http://www.fda.gov/cder/drugprepare/kiprep.htm
-
Possible Health Effects of Radiation Exposure on Unborn Babies(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.bt.cdc.gov/radiation/prenatal.asp
Also available in Spanish http://www.bt.cdc.gov/radiation/espanol/prenatal.asp
-
Pregnancy: Are X-Rays Safe during Pregnancy?(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/women/pregnancy/fetal/373.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/women/pregnancy/fetal/373.printerview.html
- Electromagnetic Fields - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/electromagneticfields.html
- Radiation Emergencies - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/radiationemergencies.html
- Radiation Therapy - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/radiationtherapy.html
- Radon - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/radon.html
- Sun Exposure - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/sunexposure.html
- Injuries and Wounds - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/injuriesandwounds.html
- Poisoning, Toxicology, Environmental Health - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/poisoningtoxicologyenvironmentalhealth.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Radiation Exposure is the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences - http://www.niehs.nih.gov/
Radiation Exposure - Multiple Languages - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/languages/radiationexposure.html