Radiation Effects on Water Slide 2 of 16

Go to slide: 1: Radiation Effects and Risks 2: Radiation Effects on Water 3: Radiation Effects on Water 4: Cell Structure 5: Radiation Effects on Cells 6: Radiation Effects on Cells 7: Radiation Damage and the Results 8: Cell Radiosensitivity 9: General Order of Cell Radiosensitivity 10: Limits of Exposure 11: Radiation Effects 12: Acute Radiation Syndrome 13: Risk Estimate 14: What are the chances? 15: Relative Risk 16: Doses from Various Sources

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Water is an essential component of every living organism, including human beings which are composed of 80% water. In order to understand the possible effects of radiation on a living cell it is important to understand the primary and secondary chemical reactions that occur when pure water is irradiated. The first reaction, the primary or direct reaction, occurs very quickly, within 1/10 of a nanosecond and results in the production of free radicals. Free radicals are highly chemically reactive due to the presense of an unpaired electron. This unpaired electron wants to be "paired up" with another unpaired electron as soon as possible therefore the secondary reaction occurs. The two common types of free radicals are hyrdogen and hydroxyl radicals. * * Source: Basic Radiation Protection Technology, 1994.