 |
 |
 |
Other Health Topics:
-
Related Topics
-
Go Local
- Services and providers for Radiation Exposure in the U.S.
-
National Institutes of Health
- The primary NIH organization for research on Radiation Exposure is the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Languages
Radiation Exposure
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
Start Here
- Calculate Your Radiation Dose(Environmental Protection Agency)
- RadTown USA(Environmental Protection Agency)
- Understanding Radiation(Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and Radiation)
| Basics | Learn More | Multimedia & Cool Tools |
|---|---|---|
| Research | Reference Shelf | For You |
-
Overviews
- Biological Effects of Radiation(U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission)
- Radiation Protection(U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission)
- Radiation Sickness(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Radiation: Risks and Realities(Environmental Protection Agency) - Large PDF file
-
Treatment
- Facts about DTPA (Diethylenetriaminepentaacetate)(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Facts about Neupogen®(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Potassium Iodide (KI)(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Prussian Blue(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
-
Prevention/Screening
- Estimating Risk(Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and Radiation)
- Radiation Protection Basics(Environmental Protection Agency)
- Understanding Radiation: Exposure Pathways(Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and Radiation)
-
Specific Conditions
- About TENORM (Technologically Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials)(Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and Radiation)
- Acute Radiation Syndrome(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Basic Information about Radionuclides in Drinking Water(Environmental Protection Agency)
- Commonly Encountered Radionuclides(Environmental Protection Agency)
- Consumer Products Containing Radioactive Materials(Health Physics Society) - Links to PDF
- Gamma Rays(Environmental Protection Agency)
- Ionizing Radiation(Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and Radiation) - Large PDF file
- Naturally-Occurring Radiation(Environmental Protection Agency)
- Plutonium(Environmental Protection Agency)
-
Radiation Exposure in X-Ray Examinations(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America)
Also available in Spanish
- Radioactive Isotopes(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Radioactive Materials in Antiques(Environmental Protection Agency)
- Sealed Radioactive Sources(Environmental Protection Agency)
- Smoke Detectors and Radiation(Environmental Protection Agency)
- Tanning Salons(Health Physics Society) - Links to PDF
- Technetium-99(Environmental Protection Agency)
- Uranium(Environmental Protection Agency)
- We Want You to Know about Television Radiation(Center for Devices and Radiological Health)
-
Related Issues
- Ask the Experts in Radiation Safety: Questions and Answers(Health Physics Society)
- Cancer Among Military Personnel Exposed to Nuclear Weapons(American Cancer Society)
- Food Irradiation(Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and Radiation)
- Laser Hazards(Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
- Mail Irradiation(Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and Radiation)
-
Nasopharyngeal Radium Irradiation (NRI) and Cancer
(National Cancer Institute)
-
Nuclear Radiation and the Thyroid(American Thyroid Association) - Links to PDF
Also available in Spanish
- Radiation Exposure and Cancer(American Cancer Society)
- Radiation Measurement(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
-
Pictures & Photographs
- Radiation Symbols(Environmental Protection Agency)
-
Health Check Tools
- Calculate Your Radiation Dose(Environmental Protection Agency)
-
Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Effect of separase depletion on ionizing radiation-induced cell cycle checkpoints...
- Article: Mutational specificity of gamma-radiation-induced guanine-thymine and thymine-guanine intrastrand cross-links in...
- Article: Gamma-irradiation-induced DNA damage checkpoint activation involves feedback regulation between extracellular...
- Radiation Exposure -- see more articles
- Radiation pollution -- see more articles
-
Dictionaries/Glossaries
- Acronyms of Radiation(Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and Radiation)
- Glossary of Radiological Terms(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Radiation Glossary(Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and Radiation)
-
Directories
- Environmental Protection Agency Regional Offices(Environmental Protection Agency)
- Radioactively Contaminated NPL Sites(Environmental Protection Agency)
-
Organizations
- Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and Radiation
- National Center for Environmental Health(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
-
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Also available in Spanish
- U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
-
Law and Policy
- Radiation Protection: Basic Information(Environmental Protection Agency)
-
Children
- Home Preparation Procedure for Emergency Administration of Potassium Iodide Tablets to Infants and Small Children(Center for Drug Evaluation and Research)
-
Women
-
Possible Health Effects of Radiation Exposure on Unborn Babies(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Also available in Spanish
-
Pregnancy: Are X-Rays Safe during Pregnancy?(American Academy of Family Physicians)
Also available in Spanish
-
Possible Health Effects of Radiation Exposure on Unborn Babies(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
| Home | Health Topics | Drugs & Supplements | Encyclopedia | Dictionary | News | Directories | Other Resources | |
| Copyright | Privacy | Accessibility | Quality Guidelines U.S. National Library of Medicine, 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20894 National Institutes of Health | Department of Health & Human Services |
Date last updated: 13 September 2008 Topic last reviewed: 11 August 2008 |