Radiation Effects

The following FAQ has been developed by our topic editors for this category:

Effects and Security Screening

The following HPS Web page also addresses this category:

Benefits of Medical Radiation Exposures

The following health physics questions have been answered by an expert and approved by our editors for inclusion in our "Ask the Experts" feature. Click on the question to see the answer.

Questions in this Category Are in the Following Subcategories:
•  Low-Dose Effects
•  Beneficial Effects
•  Age Effects
•  Biological Effects of Radiation
•  Hiroshima and Nagasaki
•  Effects on Materials
•  Dose Response
•  Effects on Tissues and Organs
•  Effects by Radionuclides
•  Effects on Animals
•  Radiation Modifiers
•  High-Dose Effects
•  Books and Publications
•  Medical and Dental Radiation
•  Genetic Effects
•  Cancer and Leukemia Risks
•  Miscellaneous
Low-Dose Effects
Q10	–	How detrimental to health is low-level gamma radiation?
Q1254	–	China High Background Radiation Study
Q1570	–	Radiology technician health risks
Q2150	–	Myelodysplastic syndrome and radiation exposure
Q2410	–	Health risks of 15-20 rem
Q3378	–	Nonmalignant thyroid disease
Q3380	–	Marshall Islands
Q3408	–	Promethium on Watch
Q3429	–	Nuclear medicine technologist
Q3542	–	Dental radiographs
Q3867	–	Spiral CT
Q3884	–	Fear from excess x rays
Q4150	–	Leukemia
Q4479	–	Navy nuclear propulsion plant operator
Q4503	–	Atomic testing exposures
Q4575	–	Enewetak dose
Q5563	–	John Gofman and safe dose
Q5691	–	Medical doses/air travel
Q5871	–	Positive effects
Q6416	–	Contradictions at low doses
Beneficial Effects
Q87	–	Is there a beneficial effect of radiation at low doses?
Age Effects
Q206	–	Do senior citizens or infants face greater health risks from radiation?
Biological Effects of Radiation
Q806	–	Effects of ingesting radionuclides
Q1280	–	Effects on seeds
Q1579	–	Nuclear generator facility
Q1696	–	Exotoses and x-ray treatments
Q2121	–	Dose rate effects
Q2543	–	Proximity to Radioactive Persons
Q2751	–	Relief x-ray technician
Q2912	–	Immune system
Q3451	–	Thyroid treatment and children
Q3552	–	Concern about chest x rays
Q4237	–	Lived in Marshall Islands
Q5322	–	Exposed on submarine
Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Q340	–	Hiroshima and Nagasaki Health Effects
Q1495	–	Train trip through Hiroshima
Q3645	–	Moving to Hiroshima/Nagasaki
Q4581	–	"Shadow" images
Effects on Materials
Q368	–	Cobalt-exposed materials
Q1434	–	Contact lenses
Q1438	–	Irradiation of mail
Q1484	–	Effects on plants
Q1794	–	Sealed sources in a chemical fire
Q2951	–	Effects of radiation on breast milk
Dose Response
Q317	–	What are the effects of exposure to low doses of radiation?
Q349	–	How many mR/hr are unsafe?
Q487	–	Which cancers can be caused by radiation?
Q745	–	Is radiation risk proportional to dose?
Q1962	–	Cancer among Navy Nukes?
Q4032	–	Occupational dose limit
Effects on Tissues and Organs
Q196	–	What are the effects of radiation on the kidney?
Q285	–	What are the effects of radiation on bone tissue?
Q404	–	Radiation effects on nerve cells
Q443	–	Effects on the muscle
Q538	–	Radiation effects on connective tissue
Q543	–	Human cartilage
Q1087	–	Effects of radiation on the human cell
Q1164	–	Circulatory and nervous systems
Q1474	–	Interaction of radiation with tissue
Q1631	–	Effects on long bones
Q1645	–	Effects on coronary arteries
Q1651	–	Blood counts
Q1998	–	Low hemoglobin
Q2006	–	Flushing and dots on skin
Q2009	–	Scleroderma
Q2243	–	Hysterosalpingography
Q2268	–	Effects on girlfriend of prostate cancer treatment
Q2296	–	Veterinary office and effects on eyes
Q2322	–	Radar and salivary gland cancer
Q2369	–	Thyroid cancer from occupational radiation exposure?
Q2371	–	CSI TV program
Q2411	–	Effects on skin
Q2471	–	Sinus x ray
Q2516	–	Radiation treatments
Q2889	–	Xyphoid tumor
Q2939	–	Breast cyst
Q2965	–	Scatter radiation
Q3479	–	Radiation treatments for acne
Q3553	–	Hodgkin's Disease treatment
Q3600	–	Thyroid treatment and hair loss
Q3796	–	CT effects on sinuses
Q3865	–	Breast Cancer after Acne Treatment
Q3996	–	Gonads
Q4238	–	CT head scan
Q4801	–	Tissue that has been subjected to therapeutic radiation
Q4991	–	Radiosensitive organs
Q6177	–	Cataracts
Effects by Radionuclides
Q214	–	Can you tell me about Redivue (sulfur-35) and its health effects?
Q291	–	How do I know that measuring strontium-90 samples won't cause any harm to me?
Q399	–	Risks associated with thorium nitrate
Q450	–	Toxicity of uranium
Q560	–	High doses of cesium-137
Q611	–	Health effects of depleted uranium
Q650	–	Hazards of americium
Q693	–	Risks of thorium-232
Q754	–	Health effects of uranium
Q1039	–	Health effects of thorium
Q3414	–	Uranium in body
Q3566	–	Exposure to sulfur-25
Q3587	–	Breast-feeding and carbon-14
Q3814	–	Collected radioactive core samples
Q4031	–	Exposure to cesium-137 and americium-241
Q4466	–	Neptunium
Effects on Animals
Q1576	–	X-ray exposures to animals
Q2183	–	Dogs with osteosarcomas
Q4799	–	Glowing cows
Radiation Modifiers
Q647	–	Relative biological effectiveness (RBE)
Q672	–	Green tea as a protectant
Q867	–	What is the definition of radioresponsive?
Q1709	–	Cells becoming immune
Q2030	–	RBE and keV
Q2421	–	Natural dietary supplements
Q3201	–	Susceptibility to cancer
Q4784	–	X rays and dose rate
Q4840	–	Radionuclides in nuclear medicine
High-Dose Effects
Q971	–	What is the effect of exposure to moderate levels of radiation (100-500 rem)?
Q1005	–	What are the effects of exposure to high doses of radiation?
Q2882	–	Cause of prodromal syndrome
Q3050	–	Risk versus benefit
Q3495	–	Roentgen Exposures
Books and Publications
Q218	–	I need a summary of BEIR V.
Q227	–	Has the HPS reviewed the new Gofman book?
Medical and Dental Radiation
Q816	–	Are x rays bad for you?
Q1285	–	Chest x rays for administrative use
Q1972	–	Radiation treatments to promote healing
Q2038	–	Tenant with iodine treatment
Q2286	–	Cardiac catheterization laboratory
Q2457	–	Breast Feeding and IVP
Q2474	–	Medical x rays
Q2589	–	Many Tests over Short Time Period
Q2787	–	X rays and CT scans
Q2809	–	Effects of x rays on children
Q2839	–	Exposures to radiation oncologists
Q2961	–	X rays plus flying
Q2970	–	VCUG exposure
Q3164	–	Hyperthyroidism treatment
Q3242	–	Many diagnostic radiation tests
Q3634	–	Dental x ray and phone
Q3663	–	Can chest x rays cause leukemia?
Q3693	–	Moved body during chest x ray
Q3698	–	Colon fluoroscopy
Q3780	–	Many x rays
Q3790	–	Cancer and genetic risks
Q3992	–	Frequent dental x rays
Q4010	–	Fluorine-18 exam
Q4090	–	Head exposures and healing of the brain
Q4096	–	Dental hygienist
Q4125	–	Too much radiation?
Q4141	–	Cancer risk
Q4146	–	Radiation therapy to head
Q4165	–	Reproductive system
Q4228	–	Thyroid cancer and radiation exposure
Q4236	–	Refused x rays
Q4341	–	Red and irritated skin
Q4467	–	Proximity to nuclear medicine patient
Q4480	–	Skull x rays of child
Q4544	–	CT scan after therapeutic radiation
Q4567	–	Medical exposures
Q4615	–	Harmful effects of x rays to a six-year-old
Q4658	–	Gofman study
Q4744	–	Medical vs. occupational exposure
Q4803	–	Benefits vs. risk
Q4818	–	Radium seed treatment
Q4845	–	Reddened skin after x rays
Q5178	–	Too many tests
Q5197	–	Different precautions with x rays and CT
Q5208	–	Cataracts
Q5237	–	Iodine-131 and salivary glands
Q5439	–	Young people sitting next to nuclear medicine patients
Q5451	–	Concerns about many exposures
Q5469	–	Dental x rays to small child
Q5552	–	Goffman and Weil's concerns
Q5681	–	Dental crowns
Q5702	–	I am so worried
Q5769	–	Risk of birth defects or genetic effects
Q5788	–	Digital dental exposures
Q5800	–	Doses below 100 mSv
Q5803	–	Worried about chest x rays
Q6465	–	Hip x ray and infertility or genetic effects
Genetic Effects
Q1025	–	Effect of x rays on ovaries
Q1352	–	Teratogenic effects
Q1854	–	Abdominal x ray and testes
Q1934	–	Making a person sterile
Q2301	–	Sperm
Q2378	–	Genital shield
Q2445	–	Reproductive Cells
Q2624	–	Genetic effects
Q2628	–	Concern about reproductive effects
Q2747	–	Effects on testes
Q2907	–	Conceiving after x rays
Q2980	–	Contaminated lab and fertility
Q3039	–	Sex ratio effects
Q3058	–	CT to child's head
Q3123	–	CT scan and sperm count
Q3227	–	Effect of chest x rays on sperm
Q3808	–	Exposure from many x rays
Q4053	–	X rays due to scoliosis
Q4741	–	Work with neutrons
Q5543	–	Medical tests and effects on offspring
Q5734	–	Radiologist doses
Q6332	–	Abdominal x rays
Q6335	–	Nuclear power plant exposures
Cancer and Leukemia Risks
Q14	–	Tumor induction in the extremities and exposure to ionizing radiation
Q737	–	Testicular seminomas
Q882	–	Radiation-related increase in esophageal cancer
Q2229	–	Prostate cancer
Q2367	–	Nuclear power plants and breast cancer
Q2449	–	Electrons for treating cancer
Q2957	–	Thyroid cancer
Q5831	–	Leukemia from x rays during aircraft maintenance
Miscellaneous
Q1166	–	Containers for storage of uranium ore
Q2210	–	Satellite
Q5173	–	Children from Belarus
Q5222	–	X rays on horses
Q5838	–	Visit to Montebello Islands

The following Web sites may also be useful:

			Cancer Mechanisms (RERF)
			Health Effects (EPA)
			Health Effects (United Nations)
			Hereditary Effects (United Nations)
			High Dose Effects (CDC)
			Low Level Radiation (HPA UK)
			Radiation and Life
			Radiation Effects Research Foundation (radiation effects)
			Radiation Information (Idaho State University)