What are radionuclides and what is their role in the world around us? How do they affect the physical universe? How do they affect living organisms? And per person? What are radionuclides in terms of biology and medicine? These, as well as a number of other issues, will be considered in the framework of this article.
Introductory information
A lot of people are afraid of radioactive products, being exposed to isotopes during medical procedures, or staying in conditions of increased radioactive background. Understanding the effects of these factors can often be described as very abstract. It often boils down to a simple statement: all this can be the cause of serious diseases.
But which ones? Why do they arise? What is the mechanism of their progression? Let's figure out what radioactive elements are and how they affect the body.
What are radionuclides: definition
Begin with terminology. Radionuclides are radioactive atoms that are characterized by a specific (usually indicated) mass number and number. For isomeric representatives, we should also mention the energy state of the nucleus. An atom is a complex system, it consists of particles-waves of three categories: in the nucleus are protons and neutrons, as well as the electrons surrounding it, which form the shell. In terms of mass, there is a significant advantage. Almost all of it is in the core.
By the way, protons and neutrons make up the mass of the nuclide. Which of them can reside in different nuclear energy states. One of them is represented by isotopes - these are nuclides with the same number of protons. Another condition is isobars. In this case, the atoms have a different number of protons and neutrons, although the same mass value is observed. This is what nuclides and radionuclides are.
About application possibilities
A man uses radionuclides in the economy, science, technology and medicine. Thanks to them, it is possible to study biochemical and physiological processes in the normal state and when pathologies occur. They also help in studying the patterns of exchange and migration of chemical elements in the body and the environment.
In medical practice, radionuclides are invaluable in the diagnosis and subsequent treatment of various diseases. They are also used to sterilize various products, materials and medicines. What are radionuclides in general considered, now let's pay attention to special cases.
Iodine
One of the most famous representatives. Its specific action depends on the half-life. According to this criterion, short-lived (Y-131) and long-lived (Y-137) isotopes are isolated. But the probability of meeting the former is an order of magnitude greater than the latter. Radioactive iodine J-131 can enter the human body with food, through burns and wounds, during the breathing process. But basically this happens through the first and last accumulation options. A distinctive feature of this element is that it is absorbed extremely quickly into lymph and blood.
It has the ability to accumulate in the thyroid gland, bones, muscles and liver. Some diseases of the thyroid gland lead to an increase in the scale of this process. It is believed that the lethal concentration of this radionuclide in the body is 55 millibekerel per kilogram. At lower doses, negative pathological changes simply occur in the immune and hematopoietic systems, the thyroid gland, and metabolism is disturbed.
Regarding the effects of this radionuclide, one must always remember the short half-life. In other words, a negative effect is felt in the first days after radiation infection.
Cesium and strontium
These are isotopes that harm health throughout human life. They represent the greatest danger to those who live in the contaminated area. In addition to cesium and strontium, transuranic isotopes should also be mentioned. Basically, they enter the body through food. Their influence depends on a number of factors.
Radionuclides in the human body are harmful, and the degree of damage depends on:
- Age. Most negative effects are children.
- Paula. Men are more likely to accumulate radionuclides than women.
- The physiological state of the body.
- Concentrations of isotopes in consumed food. Most of them are in berries and mushrooms.
- Structural and functional features of tissues and organs.
- Influence of factors of assimilation (accession) and removal of radionuclides from a person.
Although there should be a slight clarification regarding gender. During pregnancy, women are characterized by increased ability to accumulate radionuclides. However, they usually occupy the placenta. And this often turns into hormonal disorders, which are observed both in the fetus and in the mother. This affects the subsequent development, first of all, of the child. The placenta is the main barrier to radionuclides on the way to the embryo.
But in case of damage (if there are a lot of isotopes), the fetus dies. If we talk about various organs, it should be noted that there can be two types of changes in them: metabolic and structural. The danger from them is unequal and strongly depends on how exactly the radioactive elements accumulate in specific cases.
A small digression about physical properties
It is necessary to ask a question that did not exist before, what is the specific activity of radionuclides? This implies a study indicator (the number of decays) in relation to the mass of the source substance, per unit time. In this regard, it is important to understand what is the specific effective activity of natural radionuclides. This parameter is used to check the security of the conditions in which people will have to live. For example, the study of building materials from which the construction of the building is planned.
Read more about the effect on the body
It has been experimentally proven that under the influence of radionuclides, pathological changes occur in the heart, kidneys, liver, endocrine, reproductive, nervous, hematopoietic and immune systems. Let's go through these points in more detail:
- The cardiovascular system. Functional changes are mainly associated with blockade of various departments and myocardial damage. It should be noted that the effect of natural radionuclides can occur even in preschool age. As the accumulated amount of compounds in the human body increases, the situation will worsen. We should not forget about the harmful effects on the heart muscle directly and directly (as a result of damage to the autonomic nervous and endocrine systems).
- The kidneys. Exposure to radionuclides inevitably leads to the death of tubules and glomeruli. And this results in a decrease in renal filtration. In this case, the blood content of protein metabolism products increases (these are urea and creatinine). The main radionuclides under the influence of which this occurs are the cesium isotopes.
- Liver. The accumulation of cesium in it contributes to the onset of cirrhosis and hepatosis.
In general, disruption of the endocrine system, kidneys and liver changes metabolic processes. This affects the biochemical picture of the blood. And all because of radionuclides.
Impact Features
A feature is the complexity of the influence:
- The immune system. The effect of radionuclides leads to a decrease in the functional activity of competent cells. Because of this, the scale of infectious and parasitic diseases is growing.
- Hematopoietic system. With the accumulation of significant doses, the level of red blood cells in the blood decreases, and large-scale disturbances in the process of formation of blood cells also begin.
- Thyroid. The process of hormone production is disrupted. The main impact of radionuclides on this organ is inflicted in the early days, although the subsequent effect should not be discounted.
- Pathology of the reproductive system. This primarily applies to women. Their occurrence is associated with the effect of radionuclides on the thyroid gland. There is an imbalance between estrogen and progesterone, increasing the amount of cortisol and a number of complications.
Does this mean that everything is terrible?
Radionuclides do have a negative effect on the human body. But they are afraid of this, unless, of course, a person accidentally wandered into a fresh nuclear funnel, not worth it. One secret is worth discovering: the sources of radionuclides around us are present in huge numbers. They are in the earth, building materials, and many more where. The norm is considered the amount of radioactivity up to 20 micro-roentgen per hour.
Although in some places (in France or India) people manage to comfortably exist all their lives, even at rates of thousands of microR / h. A person is constantly exposed to their influence. So to be careful is helpful. But becoming paranoid is unnecessary. If this issue is very worried, then you can begin to actively consume foods that contribute to the removal of radionuclides from the body. For example, milk and rice.
So we examined what radionuclides are in the human body, the specifics of their manifestation, and discussed the reality of the danger to the average citizen.