Acute Radiation Sickness

[Hans de Vries]

Don't ask why I'm asking this 

I know that in ARS gut lining is destroyed together with bone marrow which is IIRC main reason of death in ARS. What are effects of gamma radiation on other cell types such as muscles, nerve cells, and internal organ tissues? 

 

[MigL]

You turn green, get really strong and yell "HULK SMASH" a lot.

[Sensei]

51 minutes ago, Hans de Vries said:

What are effects of gamma radiation on other cell types such as muscles, nerve cells, and internal organ tissues? 

That depends on whether it's external source of gamma radiation, or it's ingested unstable isotope which is decaying via gamma emission, and what is decay energy released in the process.

The second one is even used in therapy (!).. Search net for "Technetium-99m nuclear isomer".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technetium-99m

It's pretty low energy 140 keV gamma ray.

 

Edited June 13, 2019 by Sensei

[swansont]

Gammas ionize atoms/molecules, which can be disruptive to the DNA. It's a bigger problem for cells that divide while they are damaged, because then the new cell will have damaged DNA. For other cells, the damage might be repaired.

24 minutes ago, Sensei said:

That depends on whether it's external source of gamma radiation, or it's ingested unstable isotope which is decaying via gamma emission 

Gammas are what is known as a "whole body dose" because they penetrate. There is little difference between an external and internal source, aside from the 1/r^2 attenuation. This is in stark contrast to beta and especially alpha sources of radiation.

[dimreepr]

https://medlineplus.gov/ency/imagepages/18126.htm

1 hour ago, Hans de Vries said:

Don't ask why I'm asking this 

At least define what you mean... 

[Hans de Vries]

I am one of those people who experienced a sudden spike of interest in all things nuclear after watching HBO's Chernobyl.

 

I meant external source ofc.

[Sensei]

7 minutes ago, swansont said:

Gammas are what is known as a "whole body dose" because they penetrate. There is little difference between an external and internal source, aside from the 1/r^2 attenuation. This is in stark contrast to beta and especially alpha sources of radiation.

What I meant, is that gamma rays from external source will fly through, and will react, or pass through. Done. If you ingest radioactive isotope which is decaying via gamma emission (or any other decay mode), you will have a much longer exposure. Radioisotope can become part of your body for real. It happens in the case of Carbon C-14 and Potassium K-40 on a mass scale.

 

Just now, Hans de Vries said:

I am one of those people who experienced a sudden spike of interest in all things nuclear after watching HBO's Chernobyl.

I meant external source ofc.

One of the products of Uranium fission is radioactive isotope of Caesium-137. It's I group element, so it's readily dissolvable in water, which is contaminated, and should not be used. It's easily ingested, directly or indirectly e.g. plants are growing on contaminated water, animals are eating contaminated plants and drink water, humans are eating contaminated plants, animals, and drink water.

Other product of Uranium fission is radioactive isotope of Strontium. If somehow it's ingested it's replacing Calcium in bones, and stay there almost forever till it'll decay, and might cause bone cancer after dozen years after contamination really happened.

[dimreepr]

32 minutes ago, Sensei said:

Other product of Uranium fission is radioactive isotope of Strontium. If somehow it's ingested it's replacing Calcium in bones, and stay there almost forever till it'll decay, and might cause bone cancer after dozen years after contamination really happened.

So not acute...

[swansont]

1 hour ago, Sensei said:

What I meant, is that gamma rays from external source will fly through, and will react, or pass through. Done. If you ingest radioactive isotope which is decaying via gamma emission (or any other decay mode), you will have a much longer exposure. Radioisotope can become part of your body for real. It happens in the case of Carbon C-14 and Potassium K-40 on a mass scale.

Which is a matter of exposure time, not location of the source. The concept of biological half-life (how long it stays in the body) is important here.