​The hazards of radiation

You may often hear the term radiation, so what is radiation and what kind of harm will radiation cause to our body? In fact, there are many types of radiation. What we are often exposed to is electromagnetic radiation, but there is also cosmic radiation and nuclear radiation. We should have a deeper understanding of the hazards of radiation and do a good job of preventing radiation.

We must distinguish the hazards of radiation. Different radiations cause different damages to our human body. Nuclear radiation can cause various diseases in us, and can introduce leukemia and various tumors into the human body.

Radiation is divided into electromagnetic radiation and nuclear radiation. Nuclear radiation hazards, such as gamma rays produced by cobalt-60, cesium-137, iridium-192 sources, beta rays produced by kr-85 sources, neutron rays produced by 241Am-Be sources, 24Na-Be sources, 124Sb-Be sources and electron accelerators with energy exceeding 10M; beta and alpha rays produced by unsealed sources; x-rays produced by various industrial and medical X-ray equipment, etc. With the extensive application of nuclear energy and nuclear technology in industrial and agricultural production, medical care, scientific research and national defense, more and more people are exposed and the hazards of radiation can no longer be ignored. Long-term exposure to radiation will cause discomfort to the human body. In severe cases, it can cause damage to human organs and systems, leading to the occurrence of various diseases, such as leukemia, aplastic anemia, various tumors, fundus lesions, reproductive system diseases, premature aging, etc.

Cosmic radiation hazards. The intensity of cosmic radiation increases with altitude and latitude. Modern jet airliners fly at an altitude of 10 to 20 kilometers, where the intensity of cosmic radiation is nearly 100 times that at sea level. Long-term exposure to cosmic radiation will cause changes in some indicators reflecting radiation damage (such as the micronucleus rate of lymphocytes in the body), indicating that health has been affected.

Electromagnetic radiation hazards. Electromagnetic pollution has been recognized as the fourth largest public hazard after air pollution, water pollution and noise pollution. The United Nations Conference on the Human Environment lists electromagnetic radiation as one of the main pollutants that must be controlled. Electromagnetic radiation includes high-intensity electromagnetic waves generated when electrical equipment such as TV towers, mobile phones, and electromagnetic wave transmission towers are in operation, as well as electromagnetic radiation generated when household appliances such as computers, substations, televisions, and microwave ovens are in use. These electromagnetic radiations fill space, are colorless, odorless and invisible, and can penetrate a variety of substances, including the human body. If the human body is exposed to radiation doses exceeding the safe level for a long time, cells will be damaged or killed on a large scale. According to foreign data, electromagnetic radiation has become one of the pathogenic factors that endanger human health today. In the electromagnetic wave magnetic field, the incidence of leukemia in the population is 2.93 times that in a normal environment, and the incidence of muscle tumors is 3.26 times that in a normal environment. Most experts at home and abroad believe that electromagnetic radiation is one of the causes of childhood leukemia, and can induce the proliferation of human cancer cells, affect the human reproductive system, cause intellectual disabilities in children, affect the human cardiovascular system, and have adverse effects on people's visual system.

However, experts also pointed out that there is no need to be too afraid of radiation, because radiation is not a strong carcinogenic factor and will not cause "special cancers", but it will increase the incidence of cancer. According to statistical analysis of existing data, only 4% of tumors are caused by ionizing radiation. Moreover, radiation hazards can be prevented and the damage caused by radiation can be treated.

Electromagnetic radiation has a greater impact on older pregnant women. Medical research and clinical practice show that the best childbearing age for women is 24-28 years old. During this period, women are fully developed, their eggs are of the best quality, their pelvic ligaments and muscles are most elastic, and their uterus has strong contractions. The incidence of miscarriage, premature birth, stillbirth, deformity and dementia in children born during this period is also the lowest. For women who give birth after the age of 35, the quality of their eggs begins to decline, and the egg cells are prone to deformation. The accumulation of various chronic diseases makes the chance of chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus higher than normal people, and the incidence of early miscarriage, late dystocia and dystocia (breech presentation, surgical delivery and congenital idiocy) is greatly increased. Pregnant women in this age group have degenerated pelvic and ligament functions, less elasticity of soft birth canal tissue, and correspondingly weakened uterine contraction force, which can easily lead to prolonged labor and cause dystocia, resulting in fetal birth injuries and asphyxia. In addition, due to the advanced age of pregnant women, the incidence of fetal malformations and certain genetic diseases is also higher. Clinical statistics show that at the age of 35, the chance of conceiving a child with abnormal chromosomes is 1/178, and the chance of miscarriage is 1/200, which is 2 to 3 times that of those of childbearing age.

"In addition to physiological fertility disadvantages, older pregnant women are more sensitive to external environmental stimuli than women of childbearing age," said Professor Zuo Wenli, chief physician of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Peking University First Hospital. Professor Zuo cited a survey report from the "Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention" and "Peking Union Medical College Hospital", saying that electromagnetic radiation caused by microwave ovens, induction cookers, mobile phones, computers, copiers, etc. is extremely harmful to pregnant women, especially older pregnant women. "Take microwave ovens as an example. The electromagnetic radiation of most microwave ovens within 50 centimeters exceeds the maximum limit by as much as 37%. This is far beyond the radiation range that even pregnant women of childbearing age can hardly bear. The impact on older mothers can be imagined. This will greatly increase the risk of miscarriage or chromosomal mutation in pregnant women," said Zuo Wenli. "Therefore, it is recommended that older pregnant women stay away from the above-mentioned radiation sources as much as possible when preparing for pregnancy or even during pregnancy, make fewer phone calls, and wear radiation protection clothing in unsafe environments to reduce radiation risks."

Above, we introduced what radiation is and the hazards of radiation. There are many types of radiation, and different radiations have different hazards. The common radiation we encounter includes cosmic radiation, nuclear radiation, and electromagnetic radiation. Electromagnetic radiation is what we are often exposed to at home. The above article introduces the hazards of various radiations in detail. I hope it will be helpful to everyone.