Radiation Safety Training Biological Effects Washington State University Radiation Safety Office

1. Radiation Safety TrainingBiological EffectsWashington State UniversityRadiation Safety Office

2. Radiation Biology

3. Exposure to radiation will cause none of these things to happen. You will not turn green. You will not get super powers. Radiation does not cause things to grow larger. You will not glow in the dark.

4. So what are the effects of radiation?

5. Biological Effects – at the Molecular Level • Radiation can cause damage to Nucleic Acids.

6. Gene Expression A gene may respond to the radiation by changing its signal to produce protein. This may be protective or damaging. Genomic Instability Sometimes DNA damage produces later changes which may contribute to cancer. Cell Killing Damaged DNA may trigger apoptosis, or programmed cell death. If only a few cells are affected, this prevents reproduction of damaged DNA and protects the tissue. Gene Mutation Sometimes a specific gene is changed so that it is unable to make its corresponding protein properly Chromosome Aberrations Sometimes the damage effects the entire chromosome, causing it to break or recombine in an abnormal way. Sometimes parts of two different chromosomes may be combined DNA is the most important moleculethat can be changed by radiation Effects of DNA Damage Studies have shown that most radiation-induced DNA damage is normally repaired by the body.

7. Genetic Effects can include • Damage to the gene pool of a population. • Mutations Or Impaired fertility.

8. Damage to Nucleic Acids • One very important fact to remember is that radiation increases the spontaneous mutation rate, but does not produce any new mutations. Therefore, despite all of the hideous creatures supposedly produced by radiation in the science fiction literature and cinema, no such transformations have been observed in nature.

9. Biological Effects – at the Molecular Level. (cont.) Ionizing radiation can cause free Radical formation.

10. - + How does radiation cause free radical formation? • These changes can disrupt cell function and may kill cells. • High energy radiation breaks chemical bonds. • This creates free radicals, like those produced by other insults as well as by normal cellular processes in the body. • The free radicals can change chemicals in the body.

11. Biological Effects – at the Molecular Level. (cont.) • Depolymerization: the decomposition of macromolecular compounds into relatively simple compounds. • Radiolysis: the dissociation of molecules by radiation. It is the cleavage of one or several chemical bonds resulting from exposure to high-energy flux.

12. RADIOSENSITIVITY OF CELLS • Radiosensitivity and Reproductive Capacity Most sensitive cells are: Cells which are most active in reproducing themselves, and cells which have high metabolic rates. • In the human body Most radiosensitiveLeast Radiosensitive Bone marrow Muscle Lymphoid tissues Bone Reproductive organs Brain

13. CHRONIC AND ACUTE EXPOSURE • CHRONIC: Radiation dose over a long period of time or at frequent intervals. (Long duration generally low dose.) • Doses of rems per months or years. • ACUTE: Radiation dose received quickly and suddenly. (Short duration generally high dose.) • Doses of rems per minute. For a given dose, chronic exposure produces less biological effect than an acute exposure. (This means biological repair and recovery may be occurring.)

14. SOMATIC AND GENETIC EFFECTS Genetic:Effects are passed on from generation to generation due to mutation of genetic material (DNA). Somatic:Effects are manifested in the exposed individuals themselves.

15. An acute somatic effect. A burn caused by a high dose over a short period of time. This exposure was from a radiation machine. 3 days post exposure

16. If you notice reddening of the skin, consult your supervisor, Radiation Safety Office and/or your physician. This may be indicative of acute radiation exposure.

17. SOMATIC EFFECTS - CANCER • The most likely effect is cancer. • The types of cancer are the same as in general population. • Increased incidence of cancer in people exposed to high doses. • (i) Leukemia - survivors of atomic explosions. • (ii) Bone Cancer - radium watch painters. • (iii) Thyroid Cancer - Marshall Islanders. • (iv) Lung Cancer - uranium miners. *From The Health Physics and Radiological Health Handbook, Nucleon Lectern Associates, Olney, MD, 1987, p. 194.

18. An example of Other Chronic Somatic Effects can include Cataract Formation

19. Radiation effects also characterized as: Non-Stochastic (NS) – “Severity” (Threshold) proportional to dose. 1. Skin Cancer induction (NS) 2. Cataracts (NS) 3. Effects on fertility (NS) Stochastic (S) – “Probability of occurrence” proportional to dose. 1. Mutation of genetic material (S) 2. Induction of Other Cancers (S) • Breast • Hematopoietic • GI organs • Thyroid • Lung • Bone

20. StochasticHealthEffects • Late effects are “Stochastic” effects • The effects become more probable as the exposure increases. • In other words, the amount of the dose determines the probability of the effect, it does not determine the severity of the effect.

21. Non-Stochastic Health Effects • Acute effects are “Non-stochastic” effects • The effects become more severe as the exposure increases. • In other words, the amount of the dose does not determine the probability of the effect, it determines the severity of the effect. • Examples of nonstochastic effects include erythema (skin reddening), skin and tissue burns, cataract formation, sterility, radiation sickness and death.

22. Test Time! • Follow this link to the test. https://myresearch.wsu.edu • Use your WSU user name and password to sign in. • Click on the training tab. • Then click on the available training tab • Find the radiation safety training biological effects course, in the “OR” section, click on it and take the test.