Chapter 12
Health Hazards and Protection
12.1 Introduction
While handling radioactive isotopes, mere knowledge of radiochemical techniques
to perform some specific chemical reaction/separation, or to detect, measure the
activity etc., are not enough. It is equally important to be aware of the health hazards associated with radioactive isotopes. Moreover, it is also important to realize
that the laboratory where such work is expected to be carried out, should take care
of the disposal and contamination problems associated with some of the hazardous
radioactive isotopes like
137 Cs. Unlike a chemical laboratory, the radiochemical laboratory has to differentiate between the radioactive zone and non-radioactive zone
and many cares related to the safety of the personnel working in the radiochemical
laboratory are to be taken. Before we can appreciate the problems in dealing with
the radioactive materials, it is necessary to understand the reasons, which cause the
health hazard. In this chapter, therefore, we shall be mainly concerned with these
aspects and discussions would be geared to explain the various factors necessary to
be considered before launching to work with radioactive isotopes.
12.2 Biological Effect of Radiation
Why are radioactive isotopes dangerous to human beings? Before we can appreciate the problems of hazards, it may be useful to understand something about our
human body and the chemical characteristics of human cells.
We have discussed in the earlier chapters that any type of radiation e.g., particulate
radiations, neutrons or electromagnetic radiation produces ionization and chemical
changes in their passage through the matter. In a biological system, this ionization
can cause damage, directly by disruption of chemical bonds in the cell, both in the
cytoplasm and the nucleus. A cell of a human being is broadly described as having
a nucleus around which another organic material known as cytoplasm is present.
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
M. Sharon and M. Sharon, Nuclear Chemistry,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-62018-9_12
183
Health Hazards and Protection
12.1 Introduction
While handling radioactive isotopes, mere knowledge of radiochemical techniques
to perform some specific chemical reaction/separation, or to detect, measure the
activity etc., are not enough. It is equally important to be aware of the health hazards associated with radioactive isotopes. Moreover, it is also important to realize
that the laboratory where such work is expected to be carried out, should take care
of the disposal and contamination problems associated with some of the hazardous
radioactive isotopes like
137 Cs. Unlike a chemical laboratory, the radiochemical laboratory has to differentiate between the radioactive zone and non-radioactive zone
and many cares related to the safety of the personnel working in the radiochemical
laboratory are to be taken. Before we can appreciate the problems in dealing with
the radioactive materials, it is necessary to understand the reasons, which cause the
health hazard. In this chapter, therefore, we shall be mainly concerned with these
aspects and discussions would be geared to explain the various factors necessary to
be considered before launching to work with radioactive isotopes.
12.2 Biological Effect of Radiation
Why are radioactive isotopes dangerous to human beings? Before we can appreciate the problems of hazards, it may be useful to understand something about our
human body and the chemical characteristics of human cells.
We have discussed in the earlier chapters that any type of radiation e.g., particulate
radiations, neutrons or electromagnetic radiation produces ionization and chemical
changes in their passage through the matter. In a biological system, this ionization
can cause damage, directly by disruption of chemical bonds in the cell, both in the
cytoplasm and the nucleus. A cell of a human being is broadly described as having
a nucleus around which another organic material known as cytoplasm is present.
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
M. Sharon and M. Sharon, Nuclear Chemistry,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-62018-9_12
183