Is Radioactivity Dangerous?
Alpha particles, beta particles and gamma rays can do great harm to a living cell by breaking its chemical bonds at random and disrupting the cell’s genetic instructions. Massive exposure to atomic radiation can cause death within a few days or weeks. Smaller doses can cause burns, loss of hair, nausea, loss of fertility and pronounced changes in the blood. Still smaller doses, too small to cause any immediate visible damage, can result in cancer or leukemia in the person exposed, congenital abnormalities in his or her children (including physical deformities, diseases and mental retardation), and possible genetic defects in future generations. Outside the body, alpha emitters are the least harmful, and gamma emitters are more dangerous than beta emitters. Inside the body, however, alpha emitters are the most dangerous. They are about 20 times more damaging than beta emitters or gamma emitters. Thus, although alpha radiation cannot penetrate through a sheet of paper or a dead layer of
