MEDRADSC 2X03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Bone Tumor, Radon, Infant Mortality

• School: McMaster University
• Department: Medical Radiation Sciences
• Course: MEDRADSC 2X03
• Professor: Sandra Charbonneau

Document Summary

Basis of our knowledge of body"s response to radiation: animal studies. Many animals types studied: human experiences, occupational, accidental, medical, war/weapons testing. Dose required to elicit a specific biological response. Biological response obtained for same organ system. Time required to demonstrate response to dose. Time required to recover from dose: human experiences - occupational. Early radiation workers -> skin cancer and leukemia common: scientists, radiologists cancer. Miners - inhaled radioactive gas radon over prolonged period -> source for lung: mines poorly ventilated -> build up of radon gas, intense local alpha radiation deposition in lungs -> lung tumours. Radium watch dial painters -> bone tumours: dipped brushes in and used tongue to shape brushes, radium in paint from same group as calcium in periodic table, deposited in growing bones, intense alpha radiation -> bone tumours. Emergency workers at radiation disasters: enlarged thyroids, human experiences - accidental. Nuclear lab/plant workers: los alamos, oak ridge lab, chernobyl.