5: Biological Effects Flashcards

1
Q

What is the annual background dose of radiation that Canadians receive?

A

1.2 - 3.2 mSv

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2
Q

What is the radioisotope that is found in ALL living creatures?

A

Carbon-14

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3
Q

How is carbon-14 formed?

A

Cosmic rays interacting with the atmosphere

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4
Q

What are somatic effects?

A

Effects experienced by exposed individual (other than reproductive cells)

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5
Q

What are genetic effects?

A

Passed from parent to child causes by mutations in sperm/egg cells

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6
Q

What is acute exposure?

A

Exposure to a large dose in a short amount of time

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7
Q

What is chronic exposure?

A

Irradiation over long period of time at lower intensity levels

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8
Q

What are short term/prompt somatic effects?

A

Evident short time after exposure (hours, days, weeks)

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9
Q

What are long term/delayed effects?

A

Don’t become apparent until years, decades or generations after exposure

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10
Q

What are stochastic effects?

A

Associated with chronic exposure with no known minimum threshold.

(Show up years after exposure, increased levels more likely, do not affect severity/effect.)

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11
Q

What are non-stochastic effects?

A

Below a known threshold effects do not occur, appear in cases of high exposure levels and become more severe as exposure increases.

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12
Q

What is the ratio of red to white cells?

A

600:1

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13
Q

Red blood cells carry oxygen where?

A

Carry oxygen to respiratory organs and collect carbon dioxide to bring back to respiratory organs

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14
Q

White blood cells combat infection, but too many cause what?

A

Leukaemia

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15
Q

Alpha particles and gamma rays have same amount of what?

A

Energy

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16
Q

What do alpha particles do inside the body?

A

Deposit all of its energy in very small volume of tissue.

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17
Q

What do gamma rays do inside the body?

A

Spread energy over larger volume.

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18
Q

Alpha particles are approximately how much bigger than Beta particles?

A

7000x bigger

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19
Q

Who is most affected by radiation?

A

Fetus/embryo

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20
Q

Why are children more affected by radiation?

A

They’re growing, so more cells are dividing and there’s a greater opportunity to disrupt the process.

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21
Q

What kind of radiation are burns caused by?

A

Localized acuren exposure to high levels.

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22
Q

Radiation sickness is from what kind of exposure?

A

Acute exposure.

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23
Q

What happens when one gets radiation sickness?

A

Entire body absorbs a dose of at least 1 Gy.
(6+ Gy to whole body are not treatable - often lead to death 2 days to several weeks after)

Early symptoms: nausea/vomiting
Higher doses: ulcers, dizziness, hair loss

24
Q

What is a mutation due to radiation?

A

Chromosomes containing the genetic blueprint are passed down for generations UNLESS genetic mutation caused by external factor.

25
Q

What is a genetic mutation?

A

A permanent change in DNA sequence.

Mutations inherited from a parent if mutation was present in sperm/egg cells.

26
Q

What are somatic mutations?

A

NOT passed down to next generations.

Occurred at some point in life due to environments factors OR if mistake was made when DNA replicated itself during cell division.

27
Q

What are radiation effects from an embryo?

A

Can occur just after fertilization if woman is exposed while pregnant.

Effects: smaller head/brain size, poorly formed eyes, abnormally slow growth and intellectual disability.

28
Q

What is the most sensitive period for radiation effects to an embryo?

A

9th day of the 6th week after conception (organs are developing)

29
Q

What are cataracts?

A

Clouding of the lens = image is blurred.

30
Q

What is the definition of cancer?

A

Uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells.

Abnormal change in nucleus of a cell initiates uncontrolled, rapid cell multiplication forming malignant tumours.

31
Q

When do tumours grow?

A

When normal cells suffer from DNA mutation, multiplying with unusual restrictions.

32
Q

Cancer from radiation especially affects what organs?

A

Blood forming organs.

33
Q

What is the recovery period?

A

Time required for damage to tissues be repaired by inherent repair mechanisms.

34
Q

What is the latent period?

A

Time between initial exposure and when effects become evident.

35
Q

What happens to people exposed to 5 Sv of acute radiation exposure?

A

Death to 50% of people within 30 days

36
Q

What happens to people exposed to 8-10 Sv of acute radiation exposure?

A

Death to most

37
Q

What happens to people exposed to 10+ Sv of acute radiation exposure?

A

Death is certain within an hour

38
Q

Who is the ICRP and when were they formed?

A

International Commission on Radiological Protection - 1928

39
Q

What does the ICRP do?

A

Provides recommendations based on the current understanding of science of radiation exposure and effects.

40
Q

ICRP 2010 supports 3 main principles:

A
  1. Justification - only use if leads to a positive benefit
  2. Optimization of Protection - exposure kept to ALARA
  3. Dose Limitation - max dose must not pose a risk to person greater than working in a safe environment
41
Q

What is MPD?

A

Maximum permissible dose - follows recommendations from ICRP, CNSC establishes limits

42
Q

MPD for non-NEW in 1 year?

A

1 mSv

43
Q

MPD for NEW over a year?

A

50 mSv

44
Q

For 2 Gy of gamma radiation, what is the weighing factor?

A

One

45
Q

For 2 Gy of alpha radiation, what is the weighing factor?

A

20

46
Q

What are the main sources of background/natural radiation?

A

Cosmic radiation (sun/outer space) and terrestrial radiation (radioactive elements in Earth’s crust)

47
Q

What’s the difference between internal and external exposure?

A

Internal: ingesting radioactive material and external: exposed to radiation

48
Q

MPD for a pregnant NEW after she notifies her boss in writing?

A

4 mSv

49
Q

Max permissible yearly dose for a NEW on: skin, hands & feet, lens of eye

A

Skin: 500 mSv
Hands & Feet: 500 mSv
Lens of Eye: 150 mSv

50
Q

What is LD50?

A

Approx 5 Sv — acute radiation exposure = death to 50% people exposed in 30 days

51
Q

0-250 mSv of acute exposure?

A

No injury evident/biological defects

52
Q

1-2 Sv of acute exposure?

A

Radiation sickness

53
Q

What organs/tissues have highest sensitivity?

A

Blood forming organs (spleen, bone marrow, lymph nodes) AND sex organs, lens of eye, digestive/respiratory system

54
Q

What tissues are radiation resistant?

A

Connective tissues (muscles, tendons, ligaments), fat and bone, nerves and brain

55
Q

What 2 elements are naturally occurring in the Earth’s Crust?

A

Uranium and thorium