Radiation - For Good or Bad?

When you hear the term "RADIATION" and you see a Radiation Hazard
symbol, my guess is that you think of Radiation Poison or something not
good or maybe even bad.

Things that glowed were not always understood and we have learned much
about the use of radioactive materials with time.  The early pioneers,
like Maurie Curie, suffered from too much exposure.
- LRK -
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http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/label_France/ENGLISH/SCIENCES/CURIE/marie.html
Snip
*The ashes of Marie Curie and her husband Pierre have now been laid to
rest under the famous dome of the Panthéon, in Paris, alongside the
author Victor Hugo, the politician Jean Jaurès and the Resistance
fighter Jean Moulin. Through her discovery of radium, Marie Curie paved
the way for nuclear physics and cancer therapy. Born of Polish parents,
she was a woman of science and courage, compassionate yet stubbornly
determined. Her research work was to cost her her life.*
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Since I mentioned what was considered safe exposure levels but left you
with the question of why the difference in limits for the general
public, radiation workers, and astronauts I thought I should provide
some more information about radiation poison and uses of radio active
sources.

As our understanding has improved limits have changed.  As I was growing up
you could look at your toes in your shoes by using a fluoroscope.
Wasn't a good idea then because you got too much of an exposure to the
x-rays.  Today you could use image intensifiers and a lot lower setting.

The limit of 0.5 rem/yr for the general public is what they would
normally get from just being the general public.  Not going to do any
good to have a lower limit than what walking around gets you.  The folks
who work in the radiation industry carry dosimeters, are monitored for
exceptions to the normal background and may see 5 rem/yr in the normal
conduct of their tasks.

We here on Earth have the advantage of a magnetic shield and an
atmosphere that contains moisture.  Radiation from space runs into the
atoms which slows its progress. Even then some secondary particles
do at times reach us on the ground.  Airline pilots, flying high, get
less protection and more exposure.
- LRK -
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http://www.iop.org/EJ/abstract/0952-4746/21/1/003
Radiation exposures of aircrew in high altitude flight
L W Townsend 2001 J. Radiol. Prot. *21* 5-8   doi:10.1088/0952-4746/21/1/003
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Astronauts are going to be in an environment that will naturally have a
larger risk for higher levels of radiation.  The 50 rem/yr is not
expected to be harmful nor would astronauts be expected to live out a
life in space.  Or could they?

In setting up habitats that will house personnel for extended periods of
time, additional protection will be in order.  If you drop into a
depression, the surrounding regolith will narrow the view of the sky and
your exposure to Galatic Cosmic Rays.  You may not even be able to see
the Sun which should limit your exposure to its fiery breath.  If you
are going to be on our Moon you will also spend time in Earth's
magnetosphere as the Moon makes its journey around Earth.  Lunar
Prospector could detect the affects on the Moon.  Much to learn.

http://www.psrd.hawaii.edu/Sept99/MoonCore.html

More information below.
- LRK -

One parting thought that was passed to me.  If someone dies who
somewhere in there lifetime was exposed to radiation, well....
---------------------------------------
Quote, poking fun at journalists:

Look this is very simple:
1. The person was exposed to radiation.
2. The person died.
3. Therefor the radiation caused the death.
4. Those persons who caused her death by exposing her to radiation
must pay.
5. End of story.

---------------------------------------

Hmmmm, when I die, will it be because I wiggled my toes in some
mysterious machine?

Thanks for looking up with me.

Larry Kellogg

Web Site: http://lkellogg.vttoth.com/LarryRussellKellogg/
BlogSpot: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/
RSS link: http://kelloggserialreports.blogspot.com/atom.xml
Newsletter: https://news.altair.com/mailman/listinfo/lunar-update

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http://www.orau.org/ptp/collection/shoefittingfluor/shoe.htm*
Shoe-Fitting Fluoroscope (ca. 1930-1940)*

*Basic Description *

The shoe fitting fluoroscope was a common fixture in shoe stores during
the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. A typical unit, like the Adrian machine
shown here, consisted of a vertical wooden cabinet with an opening near
the bottom into which the feet were placed. When you looked through one
of the three viewing ports on the top of the cabinet (e.g., one for the
child being fitted, one for the child's parent, and the third for the
shoe salesman or saleswoman), you would see a fluorescent image of the
bones of the feet and the outline of the shoes.

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http://www.mtn.org/quack/devices/shoexray.htm
Shoe Fitting X-Ray Device

In the late 1940's and early 1950's, the shoe-fitting x-ray unit was a
common shoe store sales promotion device and nearly all stores had one.
It was estimated that there were 10,000 of these devices in use. This
particular shoe-fitting x-ray unit was produced by the dominant company
in the field, the Adrian X-Ray Company of Milwaukee WI, now defunct.
Brooks Stevens
<http://service.alpha.net/www.mam.org/html/decorative_arts.htm#scholars>,
a noted industrial designer whose works included the the Milwaukee Road
Olympian and an Oscar Meyer Wienermobile
<http://www.oscar-mayer.com/wienermobile/1958/1958.html>, designed this
machine.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluoroscopy
Fluoroscopy

>From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia*Fluoroscopy* is an imaging
technique commonly used by physicians
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physicians> to obtain real-time images of
the internal structures of a patient through the use of a fluoroscope.
In its simplest form, a fluoroscope consists of an x-ray
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-ray> source and fluorescent screen
between which a patient is placed. However, modern fluoroscopes couple
the screen to an x-ray image intensifier
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-ray_image_intensifier> and CCD
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charge-coupled_device> video camera
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_camera> allowing the images to be
played and recorded on a monitor. The use of x rays
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X_rays>, a form of ionizing radiation
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ionizing_radiation>, requires that the
potential risks from a procedure be carefully balanced with the benefits
of the procedure to the patient. While physicians always try to use low
dose <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dose> rates during fluoroscopy
procedures, the length of a typical procedure often results in a
relatively high absorbed dose
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absorbed_dose> to the patient. Recent
advances include the digitization of the images captured and flat-panel
detector systems which reduce the radiation dose to the patient still
further.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiation_poisoning
Radiation poisoning

>From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

*Radiation poisoning*, also called "radiation sickness", is a form of
damage to organ tissue due to excessive exposure to ionizing radiation
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ionizing_radiation>. The term is generally
used to refer to acute problems caused by a large dosage of radiation
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiation> in a short period. Many of the
symptoms of radiation poisoning occur as ionizing radiation interferes
with cell division. This interference allows for treatment of cancer
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cancer> cells; such cells are among the
fastest-dividing in the body, and will be killed by a radiation dose
that adjacent normal cells are likely to survive.

Strictly speaking the correct name for "radiation sickness" is acute
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acute_%28medical%29> radiation
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiation> syndrome
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syndrome> as described by the CDC
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centers_for_Disease_Control_and_Prevention>[1]
<http://www.bt.cdc.gov/radiation/ars.asp>[2]
<http://www.uiowa.edu/%7Ec077103/Kelly%20Andringa/Radiation%20Syndromes.pdf>[3]
<http://www.umt.edu/research/Eh/pdf/AcuteRadiationSyndrome.pdf>[4]
<http://www.bt.cdc.gov/radiation/arsphysicianfactsheet.asp>. A chronic
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronic_%28medicine%29> radiation syndrome
does exist but is very uncommon; this has been observed among workers in
early radium <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radium> source production
sites and in the early days of the Soviet
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet> nuclear program.[5]
<http://www.osti.gov/energycitations/product.biblio.jsp?osti_id=4207044>[6]
<http://www.umm.edu/altmed/ConsConditions/RadiationDamagecc.html> A
short exposure can result in acute radiation syndrome; chronic radiation
syndrome requires a prolonged high level of exposure.

The use of radionuclides <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radionuclide> in
science and industry is strictly regulated in most countries (in the
U.S. by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_Regulatory_Commission>). In the
event of an accidental or deliberate release of radioactive material,
either evacuation or sheltering in place will be the recommended measures.

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WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK

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