What are 3 effects of nuclear radiation?
Exposure to very high levels of radiation, such as being close to an atomic blast, can cause acute health effects such as skin burns and acute radiation syndrome (“radiation sickness”). It can also result in long-term health effects such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.
What are the four basic effects of a nuclear detonation?
The health effects of nuclear explosions are due primarily to air blast, thermal radiation, initial nuclear radiation, and residual nuclear radiation or fallout. Blast. Nuclear explosions produce air-blast effects similar to those produced by conventional explosives.
What are the effects of a nuclear blast?
A nuclear weapon detonation in or near a populated area would – as a result of the blast wave, intense heat, and radiation and radioactive fallout – cause massive death and destruction, trigger large-scale displacement[6] and cause long-term harm to human health and well-being, as well as long-term damage to the …
Do gamma rays come from nuclear bombs emit?
The release of radiation is a phenomenon unique to nuclear explosions. There are several kinds of radiation emitted; these types include gamma, neutron, and ionizing radiation, and are emitted not only at the time of detonation (initial radiation) but also for long periods of time afterward (residual radiation).
How does gamma radiation affect the body?
Gamma rays have so much penetrating power that several inches of a dense material like lead, or even a few feet of concrete may be required to stop them. Gamma rays can pass completely through the human body; as they pass through, they can cause ionizations that damage tissue and DNA.
What are 5 effects of radiation?
Radiation Effects on Humans
| Dose (rem) | Effects |
|---|---|
| 5-20 | Possible late effects; possible chromosomal damage. |
| 20-100 | Temporary reduction in white blood cells. |
| 100-200 | Mild radiation sickness within a few hours: vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue; reduction in resistance to infection. |
How far does a nuclear blast effect?
In a typical air burst, where the blast range is maximized to produce the greatest range of severe damage, i.e. the greatest range that ~10 psi (69 kPa) of pressure is extended over, is a GR/ground range of 0.4 km for 1 kiloton (kt) of TNT yield; 1.9 km for 100 kt; and 8.6 km for 10 megatons (Mt) of TNT.
What is the effect of gamma rays in environment?
Gamma rays from space are absorbed by Earth’s atmosphere. They can destroy living cells, produce mutations, and cause cancer.
What types of processes can emit gamma rays?
Gamma rays are produced primarily by four different nuclear reactions: fusion, fission, alpha decay and gamma decay. Nuclear fusion is the reaction that powers the sun and stars.
What determines the penetrating power of gamma rays?
The more material the radiation can pass through, the greater the penetration power and the more dangerous they are. In general, the greater mass present the greater the ionizing power and the lower the penetration power.
How does radiation affect the cell cycle?
Radiation works by damaging the genes (DNA) in cells. Genes control how cells grow and divide. When radiation damages the genes of cancer cells, they can’t grow and divide any more. Over time, the cells die.
What are the effects of radiation in the environment?
Plants and animals within the affected area take up radioactive particles, and these move through the ecosystem through bioaccumulation. Radiation pollution within waterways also accumulates within fish and other aquatic organisms, and runoff from radiation within the soil provides additional contamination.
What happens after a Nuclear Blast?
Although radiation is a major issue after a nuclear blast, it should be noted that most damage from such weapons are the result of massive amounts of the energy generated by shock and heat waves. The blast kills people close to ground zero, and causes major trauma much further away.
What are the three types of immediate effects of nuclear weapons?
The three categories of immediate effects are: blast, thermal radiation (heat), and prompt ionizing or nuclear radiation. Their relative importance varies with the yield of the bomb. At low yields, all three can be significant sources of injury.
How does the blast rate of a nuclear weapon depend on altitude?
As a general rule, the blast fraction is higher for low yield weapons. Furthermore, it decreases at high altitudes because there is less air mass to absorb radiation energy and convert it into blast. This effect is most important for altitudes above 30 km, corresponding to less than 1 percent of sea-level air density.
What type of energy is released when a nuclear bomb detonates?
In most cases, the energy released from a nuclear weapon detonated within the lower atmosphere can be approximately divided into four basic categories: the blast itself: 40–50\% of total energy thermal radiation: 30–50\% of total energy ionizing radiation: 5\% of total energy (more in a neutron bomb)