Speaker
Description
Radionuclides affect human health and living organisms through external and internal exposure. This causes acute effects at high doses and an increased risk of cancer and genetic damage at long-term low-level exposure. Radionuclides generally affect health, toxicology and public health through chemical and radiation effects - internal uptake (ingestion/inhalation) of specific isotopes such as I-131, Cs-137 and Sr-90 leads to local accumulation in critical organs and an increased risk of cancer and functional disorders. The main routes of entry of hazardous radionuclides into the human body are through air, water, food and injured surfaces. It is very important to conduct radiation reconnaissance of the isotopes distributed in the environment and their energy state. Public health protection responds to the presence or change in the composition of radionuclides through monitoring, dietary restrictions and protective measures (evacuation, iodine prophylaxis). Radionuclides have a combined effect, causing on the one hand a radiation component (ionizing damage to DNA) and on the other hand a chemical/toxicological component (for example, heavy metals such as uranium have nephrotoxicity).