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3 Health Effects of Radiation
3.2 Radiation Effects on the Body Following Acute
Exposure to Radiation
If a person is exposed to high levels of radiation in a short period of time, they will
suffer from the effects of acute radiation exposure. If the dose is to a limited part of the
bodies, they may end up with skin burns, sometimes severe. There have been many
instances requiring skin grafts, excision of necrotic tissue, amputation of fingers, or
even entire limbs. High levels of radiation exposure to the whole body can lead to
radiation sickness or death (Fig. 3.2).
During radiological interdiction or response, workers might suffer radiation injury
and it is most likely that any injuries will be radiation burns on their hands from
handling radioactive sources or from putting their hands into a radiation beam. Those
responding to a radiological or nuclear attack might find themselves confronted with
high radiation dose rates from a radiation-emitting device (RED), a radiological
dispersal device (RDD), or the fallout plume from an improvised nuclear device
(IND).
Fig. 3.2 a, b Changes to a radiation injury with time. Both photos are of a worker injured during a
radiation accident in Gilan Iran. The worker placed a 185 GBq Ir-192 source into his shirt pocket
for about 90 min. The photo on the left was taken 6 days after the exposure and we can see the
reddened skin (erythema) from the radiation exposure. With time, the damage worsened; in the
photo on the right the black area is necrotic tissue (radiation does not cause charring or thermal
damage) and was taken 15 days after exposure. Used with the kind permission of the International
Atomic Energy Agency [9]
3 Health Effects of Radiation
3.2 Radiation Effects on the Body Following Acute
Exposure to Radiation
If a person is exposed to high levels of radiation in a short period of time, they will
suffer from the effects of acute radiation exposure. If the dose is to a limited part of the
bodies, they may end up with skin burns, sometimes severe. There have been many
instances requiring skin grafts, excision of necrotic tissue, amputation of fingers, or
even entire limbs. High levels of radiation exposure to the whole body can lead to
radiation sickness or death (Fig. 3.2).
During radiological interdiction or response, workers might suffer radiation injury
and it is most likely that any injuries will be radiation burns on their hands from
handling radioactive sources or from putting their hands into a radiation beam. Those
responding to a radiological or nuclear attack might find themselves confronted with
high radiation dose rates from a radiation-emitting device (RED), a radiological
dispersal device (RDD), or the fallout plume from an improvised nuclear device
(IND).
Fig. 3.2 a, b Changes to a radiation injury with time. Both photos are of a worker injured during a
radiation accident in Gilan Iran. The worker placed a 185 GBq Ir-192 source into his shirt pocket
for about 90 min. The photo on the left was taken 6 days after the exposure and we can see the
reddened skin (erythema) from the radiation exposure. With time, the damage worsened; in the
photo on the right the black area is necrotic tissue (radiation does not cause charring or thermal
damage) and was taken 15 days after exposure. Used with the kind permission of the International
Atomic Energy Agency [9]