During the days of this book radium was free by the federal government because of a law passed in 1906. This was briefly obscured by the thought that the body defends itself by producing extra red blood cells until radiation when damaged cells outnumber healthy cells. Radium’s only medical use is in cancer treatments. A technique used to be used to kill cancer cells. X rays figured out that external use of radium, led to bad health problems.…
I am reading Toxin by Robin Cook and I am on page 222. This portion of the novel is about a cardiac surgeon named Kim. Kim seems to be found in a mid life crisis, recently being divorced, and struggling to pay for his house and other prized belongings. He also has a young daughter named Becky, and since he is divorced he doesn’t get much time to spend with her. After finishing a operation on a patients heart, Kim headed over to his ex-wife’s house to pick up his daughter Becky, because it was his turn to look after her.…
The Chernobyl disaster (1986) was probably the worst possible accident in a nuclear power plant. It was the biggest catastrophe ever happened since the beginning of operating nuclear power stations. It started by a total meltdown of the reactor core. The explosion and the consequent reactor fire, burning for 10 days, resulted in a vast emission of radioactive material, early deaths of 31 persons and adverse consequences for the public and the environment [198]. This Chernobyl disaster provided many invaluable lessons.…
It is a versatile treatment, it can be used as x-rays to find things, to being used as medicine to cure or, at least, slow the rate of cancer spreading. With all the knowledge the world has today about radiation, it shows that radiation has changed medicine for the better by killing off cancerous, disease ridden tissue and cells, along with changing the way we look at treatment. From starting back in 1895 as a new ray that could pass through substances to going on to be used in the military by Marie Curie for find bullets and fragments of bombs in wounded soldiers to finally being used in medicine like it is today. With the help of Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen and Marie Curie we now have a new and more versatile way of looking at treatment, and can help out more people than we did before the discovery of radioactive elements that led to a major advancement in radiation medicine. In today’s world of medicine and science, it is helping soldiers who are doctors out in the field, doctors in the hospital, and dentists find problems that can be resolved with the use of radiation.…
Radon gas is an invisible, colorless, and odorless gas that is naturally present in the air, water, and soil. It is radioactive so when the levels become too high, it becomes dangerous to our health. It can enter your home through the water supply or through other means. Since it takes longer to break down indoors, it becomes particularly concentrated inside buildings. A short term radon test can help you detect when you should take action against radon.…
Elliot Lake has been a known uranium site from the mid-1950s to the 1960s, which has been the cause of many health disruptions in the communities surrounding these sites, for which harmful effects continue to linger because of the radioactive toxins that had contaminated their lakes. Uranium is a very heavy metal which was often used in the creation of nuclear-powered atomic bombs during the cold war and was then progressively used to generate electricity. Exposure to uranium can result in both chemical and radioactive toxicity. In the mid-1950s Elliot Lake had become a mining site which attracted many people there to find work, part of these people were of the indigenous people. Throughout their work they were clueless as to what harmful…
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, making radon exposure a very real danger in the home. Luckily, radon mitigation will help protect your family from the risks of radon if your house tests above the recommended levels of exposure. Absolute Comfort Heating & Air Conditioning provides radon testing and mitigation services for homeowners in La Crosse, WI, and they will help keep your family safe. Here are the answers to three frequently asked questions about radon mitigation: What Does Radon Mitigation Do?…
Radium, found in uranium, is actually a rare chemical element of the alkaline earth series on the periodic table that is very harmful to the body in many disturbing ways (thou, ironically it’s now used to produce radon which is actually a gas used to treat some types of cancer). The survivors of the cause and effects…
Abandoned and active radioactive mining and storage facilities in proximity to Western Native American Lands pose environmental and extreme health risks to Native Americans. In the past governmental agencies have failed to educate Native American people of the dangers of radioactive waste, and have been neglectant in the clean up of many sites. In certain communities such as, Paguate and the Navajo Nation, there is a high prevalence of cancer and various respiratory diseases in residents living near radioactive storage sites. Thus, the U.S government should impose stricter monitoring systems for radioactive mining or storage sites.…
Annotated Bibliography: Nuclear Energy Ferguson, Charles D. Nuclear Energy: What Everyone Needs to Know. Oxford UP, 2011. In this book Charles D. Ferguson, president of the Federation of American Scientists, writes about how nuclear energy is formed, the health risks it can cause, and the cost of nuclear energy plants. He gives the three sources to create nuclear energy: fission, fusion, and radioactive decay.…
One way to initiate education and increasing public’s awareness on radon exposure and its negative consequences is by identifying who can be most affected by the chemical contact. Children and smokers are the most vulnerable to radon exposure (Huntington-Moskos, Rayens, Wiggins, & Hahn, 2016, p. 535). In comparison to adults, children are more sensitive to radon, which predisposes them to developing lung cancer (p. 529). The risk of getting lung cancer also drastically increases in smokers due to the synergistic effect of cigarette smoke and radon (p. 530). Being one of the frontlines of primary health care, nurses are in the perfect position to discuss home radon exposure and suggest methods to prevent its negative consequences with the clients.…
This is a serious issue to the local animals and the people in the area of the fracking location. Being exposed to these toxic chemicals can cause serious long term health effects. The wastewater from fracking is called produced water which includes naturally occurring toxic or radioactive element found deep in the earth’s crust. Radium and selenium are some examples of what the long list of elements that are…
Introduction Asbestos is a naturally occurring substance found in fibrous form. It is very resistant to heat and chemical erosions and it also has a very good tensile strength. As it is usually mixed with other materials to use, so it is very hard to recognize. But if you are working in a building made before 1990, some parts of it would contain asbestos. Asbestos was used widely in building materials such as to make fireproofing on walls and ceilings, floor tiles, cement pipes, cement boards and a lot more.…
Every year our planet comes into contact with multiple large scale pollution disasters which continue to lead us to our inevitable demise if we don’t change something. Right now, our lives are fueled mostly by Coal, and Oil which create large disasters. Pollutants from these disasters flood into our oceans killing millions of fish, and other sea creatures. The pollutants also get into our air which cause smog in many cities, which can lead to death amongst thousands of small children. The time is now to switch to an alternate source of electricity that is required to save our planet.…
The process of harvesting uranium is harmful to the environment as an energy source. When uranium is mined radioactivity is released into the environment. People can ingest the uranium, inhale it via dust, or come into direct contact with it.…