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| The Sun- a source of natural radiation |
In this post I intend speaking to
radiation. The idea is to find out how radiation compromises the natural
environment and how reversals through advocacy could be made in the quest for a
clean and balanced natural environment, in a sustainable way. The intent has been
triggered by a story I read about the radiation levels within a reactor at Fukushima
Daiichi nuclear power station in Japan. Radiation level in the reactor has
reached 530 sieverts per hour. This surpassed by far the previous record of 73
sieverts per hour in 2012, months after a tsunami hit the Fukushima reactor and
caused a meltdown- overheating resulting in escape of radiation. Sievert (Sv)
is the means by which the amount of ionizing radiation is measured. One Sievert
is equal to 100 rems. Sv is SI system of measurement which has widespread usage. Rem is another system of
measurement largely replaced by Sv and in limited use.
DEFINITION
Radiation in simple terms is the
means by which energy in the form waves and particles is released or spread from
atoms and molecules into space or through other medium. Radiation may be
ionizing or nonionizing. Ionizing radiation carry energy that can strip atoms
and molecules of their electrons, thereby charging them electrically. On the
other hand non-ionizing radiation does not have enough energy to strip atoms or
molecules of electrons to charge them electrically, it merely excites them.
Examples of ionizing radiation:
- Far Ultraviolet light
- X-rays
- Gamma rays
- Particles from radioactive decay
Examples of nonionizing radiation:
- Near ultraviolet rays
- Visible light
- Microwave
- Infrared (invisible radiation) - household heater, kitchen oven, laptop, remote control
- Radio waves
SOURCE
Radiation is pervasive. Radiation
is found everywhere in the natural environment. Radiation is an integral part
of the natural environment. Life on planet Earth is enveloped by radiation. Humans
breathe in radiation and emit radiation. There are two types of radiation. They
are natural radiation and artificial radiation. Natural radiation occurs
naturally. Artificial radiation is manmade.
Examples of sources of natural radiation:
- Soil (uranium) and rock
- Space- e.g. sun, moon.
- Water
- Human body
- Food
- Air (radon)
Examples of sources of manmade radiation:
- Nuclear power plants
- Medical equipment and procedures
- Coal power plants
- Building materials
- Light bulb
- Kitchen oven
- Remote control
DOSAGE
No matter the source of radiation
the natural environment can and must take in a dosage of radiation that it can
contain. Dosage of radiation has been classified to give a spectrum. I have
already indicated that radiation (effective) is measured in Sieverts (Sv) and
rems. Also, there is the milliSievert (mSv). The following is a table to
attempt to give you an idea of the measure of radiation the natural environment
is bombarded with.
|
NO
|
EXPOSURE
|
DOSAGE
|
|
01
|
10,000 mSv
|
Death within weeks
|
|
02
|
6,000 mSv
(Chernobyl workers)
|
Death in a month
|
|
03
|
5,000 mSv in single dose
|
Could kill half of those exposed
to it in one month.
|
|
04
|
1,000 mSv
in single dose
|
Radiation sickness and nausea
|
|
05
|
100 mSv
|
Permissible limit for radiation
workers for every five years
|
|
06
|
10
mSv
|
A whole body CT scan
|
|
07
|
2 mSv
|
It is what man is naturally
exposed to in a year.
|
|
08
|
0.1 mSv
|
Chest x-ray
|
|
09
|
0.01 mSv
|
Dental x-ray
|
LIGHT POLLUTION
The increase in manmade light is creating a
form of pollution called light pollution. Urban areas or areas on national grid
are supplied with light at night. Houses are lighted up at night. Streets are
lighted up. Hotels, restaurants, night clubs, hospitals, academic institutions
etc. get their share of manmade light. Excess of such light prevent people from
seeing the real night sky. This phenomenon has effect on the natural
environment. Let us see how this happens. Some birds use moonlight and
starlight to guide their movements. Manmade light mislead such birds which
affects the strategic timing of their movements. Some birds have crashed into
towers. Some birds miss the ideal time for nesting. Turtle hatchlings find
their way to the sea by the horizon light. However, manmade light sometimes mislead
the hatchlings away from the sea to their death. Insects are attracted to
manmade light to their death. When insects die there is a problem with the food
chain because animals that depend on insects for food will not get food to eat.
When insects die pollination cannot take place.
PARTING SHOT
Radiation is the emission of energy in the
form of waves and particles from a source or through a medium. Radiation can be
ionizing or nonionizing. Ionizing is generally regarded as the more dangerous
of the two. Ionizing radiation knock off the electrons of an atom and thereby
charging protons and neutrons electrically. Sources of radiation are both
natural and manmade.
There are radiation dosages defining safe
and unsafe exposures. Inside the Fukushima reactor in Japan, the exposure was
so high robots sent there to fix problems were killed! One natural way of
dangerous radiation is ultraviolet rays. Ultraviolet rays coming from the sun
are blocked by the ozone layer, keeping us safe down here. However, holes
discovered in the ozone layer exposes the natural environment to the harmful
effect of the ultraviolet rays. The ozone layer depletion is as a result of the
buildup of greenhouse gases which is caused by the activities of man.
Radiation is used for medical reasons.
Radiation (sunlight) is used in photosynthesis.
Knowing the causes of radiation, natural
and manmade, knowing the dosage of radiation, both safe and unsafe, and knowing
that radiation is an integral part of the natural environment, as inhabitants
of planet Earth, we need to use radiation in a delicate balance for each
generation to leave in its trail a sustainable natural environment for
successive generations.
Reference:
http://www.inquisitr.com/3995524/fukushima-radiation-levels-unimaginable-as-robots-sent-to-investigate-died/
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