Ionising Radiation Nuclear radiations can kill. In severe situations, such as being “close” to exploding nuclear bomb, the radiations given off have produced burns in the skin and the offspring born to sufferers have been deformed at birth.

Two factors that make illness from radiation more likely 1.The larger the dose, the greater the damage. 2.The more easily absorbed the radiation the greater the damage.

Type of Radiation Ionizing power Alpha particleHigh Beta particleMedium Gamma raysLow

- Danger from alpha radiation The alpha particle does this to two atoms. It is doubly ionising.

- Danger from beta radiation

Dangers of radioactivity – OUTSIDE BODY OUTSIDE the body  and  are more dangerous as they can penetrate the skin into your body to your organs. Alpha Radiation will ionise atoms in living cells – this can damage them and cause cancer or leukaemia. Gamma Beta

Alpha radiations Cannot get into the body through the skin Biggest danger is from being breathed in or taken through the mouth (with food) Don’t travel far in air so they would be easily stopped before they get to your skin

Beta radiations These are moderately dangerous They are likely to affect the skin They can cause skin cancers

Gamma radiations These are waves. They have got so much energy that they can go straight through the body They give up their energy on the way through and cause cells to misbehave. The cells become cancers inside the body that can kill

Dangers of radioactivity (INSIDE BODY) INSIDE the body an  radiation is the most dangerous because it has not enough energy to pass out of the body and has the greatest ionization power to damage cells. β and γ are less dangerous because they have enough energy to pass out of the body Gamma Beta Alpha Dangers of radioactivity – INSIDE BODY

Alpha radiations Alpha particles inside the body grab electrons from wherever they can, that is they ionise molecules in the cells. This causes cancers Alpha particles inside the body are the most dangerous of any of these situations

Beta radiations Beta particles are less ionising than alphas but they again upset cell activity and cause cancers

Gamma radiations Gamma rays given off from a source inside the body could get out of the body before doing any harm. They are the least dangerous of the three internal radiations

PROTECTION OF MEDICAL STAFF PROTECTIVE SUITSTONGS SCREEN/BARRIERARMS LENGTH

PROTECTION OF PATIENT SMALL DOSES FOCUS EXACTLY WHERE NEEDED PROTECTIVE BIB/GARMENT

Chernobyl Disaster