Radiation and Health

Radiation and the effects of radioactivity have been known for more than 100 years. International research spanning this period has yielded a great deal of information about radiation and its biological effects and this activity has resulted in the discovery of many applications in medicine and industry including cancer therapy, medical diagnostics, and quality control during manufacturing. After Chernobyl, there has been a tendency to regard radiation as harmful, even in situations where the doses are equal to or below the natural level. Radiation and Health presents a balanced view of the nature of radiation and its existence in the environment, as well as discussing its effects on plants, animals and humans. It also provides a survey of knowledge to date, from the discovery and basic theory of radiation and radioactivity to more recent developments concerned with the nature of radiation and its effect on biological systems. Numerous examples, exercises, and diagrams are included to make this book accessible to non-specialists. Radiation and Health provides information about the uses and consequences of ionizing radiation in medicine, research, and industry. It offers a basis for applying some basic calculations and comparing the results, and identifies risk factors to help establish rules and regulations that limit radiation doses, both to the individual and to society.