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External Beam Radiotherapy and Brachytherapy
Published in Karl H. Pang, Nadir I. Osman, James W.F. Catto, Christopher R. Chapple, Basic Urological Sciences, 2021
Sophia C. Kamran, Jason A. Efstathiou
The radioactive decay of an atomic nucleus results in:Alpha radiation: emission of alpha particles (two protons, two neutrons).Beta radiation: emission of beta particles.beta− = electronsbeta+ = protonsGamma radiation: emission of electromagnetic energy (photon).
Spies, Subterfuge, Missions and Murder
Published in Alan Perkins, Life and Death Rays, 2021
The alpha radiation from the polonium absorbed within the tissues results in a massive destruction of cells, leading to a progressive decline in health. Animal studies have indicated that in an adult male, amounts of polonium-210 absorbed into the blood equal to or greater than 0.1–0.3 GBq would result in death within a month. This would correspond to the ingestion of 1–3 GBq or greater assuming 10% gastrointestinal absorption to the bloodstream. Within a few hours of intake, remedial medical treatments are considered to be fruitless, since once significant amounts of polonium-210 have entered the bloodstream and deposited in tissues there is nothing that medicine can offer.
Radiation Hormesis in Cancer
Published in T. D. Luckey, Radiation Hormesis, 2020
Thorotrast, a colloidal solution containing 25% 232ThO2, was used as an X-ray contrast medium in Europe, U.S., and Japan for 30 years, 1926 to 1955. When injected intravenously, thorium and its progeny are taken into macrophages where they accumulate in the reticuloendothelial system: liver, 59%; spleen, 29%; bone marrow, 9%; bone, 2%; lungs, 0.7%; and kidney, 0.1%.57 Lymph nodes near liver and spleen contained high concentrations; others had negligible amounts. One injection of 25 ml delivered about 25 to 35 cSv/year to the liver, three to five times more than that to spleen and less to endosteal cells lining the bone. Its use stopped about 1955 when excessive cases of anemia, leukemia, and liver and bone cancer were attributed to its use. These patients are now being studied for valuable information about chronic, low level alpha radiation in humans. Rheumatism was also treated with ThNO3.
Investigation of Radon Sources, Health Hazard and Risks assessment for children using analytical and geospatial techniques in District Bannu (Pakistan)
Published in International Journal of Radiation Biology, 2022
Huma Shakoor, Noor Jehan, Sardar Khan, Nimat Ullah Khattak
For the determination of Rn concentration in drinking water of district Bannu RAD-7 radon detection equipment was used. The apparatus RAD-H2O was developed by the manufacturer specifically to perform the detection and measurement of Rn gas in water (Avery et al. 2018). This apparatus presents a result after a 30 min analysis. After every sample analysis the apparatus is purged to remove the impurities and reduce the internal humidity of RAD-7 detector. The Rn content in water sample during the process of analysis 222Rn nucleus that decay with in the cell and converted into a decay product positively charged ion 218Po. The half-life of 218Po is 3.1 min and emits alpha radiation which decays upon the detector’s active surface, the alpha particles have a probability of 50% to enter the detector and produces an electrical signal proportional in strength, to the energy of the alpha particles (Faheem and Rahman 2008). The same alpha nucleus decays and produces beta particles, which are not detected in the detection cell. Different isotopes of Rn have different alpha energies, and produce different strength signals in the detector. The RAD-7 detectors RAD-H2O amplifies filters and sorts the signals according to their strength and uses only 218Po signals for the detection of Rn concentration in drinking water (Durridge 2015).
Correlation between cytogenetic biomarkers obtained from DC and CBMN assays caused by low dose radon exposure in smokers
Published in International Journal of Radiation Biology, 2019
Radon and its decay products emit high LET alpha radiation. Half of the human annual background radiation exposure occurs because of the Radon-222 (Robertson et al. 2013). High doses of ionizing radiation causes detrimental effects in humans such as chromosomal damage (Ulsh et al. 2015), mutations (Vilenchik and Knudson 2006), carcinogenesis (Evrard et al. 2005; Krewski et al. 2006) etc. Data related to low dose ionizing radiation effects is limited and there is an increasing concern towards the risk of low dose exposure because of frequent flyer risks, screening tests for cancer, occupational exposure, manned space exploration etc. (ICRP 1999; Gilbert 2001). At present, risks of low dose exposure are derived by linear extrapolation from higher doses which might not truly reflect the low dose risk (Mitchel 2007; Matsumoto et al. 2009; Wheeler and John Bailer 2013; Desouky et al. 2015). Because of lack of understanding of the molecular consequences of low dose exposure, ambiguity exists on the risks of low dose in human beings (Kim et al. 2015).
Impact of radon and combinatory radon/carbon dioxide spa on pain and hypertension: Results from the explorative RAD-ON01 study
Published in Modern Rheumatology, 2019
Paul F. Rühle, Gerhart Klein, Tatiana Rung, Hong Tiep Phan, Claudia Fournier, Rainer Fietkau, Udo S. Gaipl, Benjamin Frey
Low dose radiation therapy has beneficial effects on patients suffering from chronic painful diseases of the musculoskeletal system [1–4]. Besides a local application of low doses of X-rays, which is used for annual treatment of 37,000 patients in Germany [5], a whole body irradiation with low doses of alpha radiation is performed in radon spas or galleries [3]. Although the alpha radiation which results from radon decay has high ionization energy, it has a very low penetration depth. Thus, it can be applied to whole body exposure and is advantageous for patients suffering from multiple painful joints and back pain. For both forms of therapy, an improvement of pain is described for about twelve months. But in contrast to application of X-rays, the radon therapy is committed to its natural occurrence and therefore tightly linked to health resorts [3].