Biological Effects of Radiation

A. Jayalath
Senior Scientific Officer
Atomic Energy Authority
History
 X-Rays and radiation of radioactive substances
were discovered in the late 19th century

 Roentgen discovered X-rays in 1895

 Becquarl discovered radioactivity in 1896

 Within the first decade it was apparent that they

could produce harmful effects.
Radioactivity and Radiation
 Types of Radiation
 Particle emission (,  - ,  + )
 Photon emission ( , x-ray)
Ionizing radiation

 Ionization Power Penetration Power

γ
α (+2He)

β- β-

α( He)
+2
γ
Human cell
Interaction of radiation with tissues
 When radiation pass through living tissue energy is
deposited and ionization of atoms occur.

 When radiation is absorbed in the body it causes chemical

reactions in the tissues that can alter the normal functions
of the body.

 It can break the DNA strands and produce chemical toxins

within the cells
Mechanism of damage at molecular level
 Time between radiation exposure and manifestation of biological
effects can be divided in to 6 stages.

 Physical stage
 Physico-chemical stage
 Chemical stage
 Biochemical stage
 Cellular level
 Systemic Multi-cellular level
Kinetics of different phase of damage I irradiated organisms

Phase Events & Processes Time scale (sec)

Physical stage Energy absorption, 10-18 – 10-15

Ionization and excitation
Physico-chemical stage Formation of radicles 10-15 – 10-8

Chemical stage Molecular alteration 10-8 – 10-3

Formation of bio-radicles
Biochemical stage Enzymatic reactions, 10-3 – 104
recognition of lesions, repair,
fixation of damage
Cellular Cell death, transformation 104 – 107
tissue repair, mutation
Systemic Multi- Functional impairment, 107– 3x 109
cellular level Adaptation, carcinogenesis,
aging, death
Direct and Indirect Action

Direct Action: Biological effect resulting from the direct

interaction with target molecule

Indirect Action: Interaction of radiation with surrounding

molecule (water) results in the formation of
radiolytic products such as free radicals and
interaction of these free radicals with target
molecule
Indirect Action

H 2O H2O* H0 + OH0

H 2O+ + e H+ + OH0 + e

e + H 2O H2O2-- OH- + H0

e + H+ H0

e + H 2O eaq

Most biological damage caused by OH radicals, which are oxidizing species.

Presence of radical scavenges like sulphydryl compounds protects the cells by
trapping the free radicals and reducing the indirect effects. Freezing the biological
system also reduces the indirect effect by immobilizing the free radicals
Direct Action / Indirect Action
Nature of molecular damage
 DNA is the primary target of the for radiation damage
 DNA being a large molecule, can undergo verity of
changes
 Degradation and cross linking with other molecule
 Single strand brake and double strand brake
 Base damage; intrastrand and interstrand cross linking
 Intermolecular cross linking DNA-DNA
 Absorbed dose of 1 Gy of low LET radiation causes an
average 1000 SSB, 40 DSB and 1000 base damages
 Effects of cellular level
Physical stage

Physico-chemical stage

Chemical stage

Biochemical stage

Cellular stage

Transformation Cell Death

Repair damage Permanent damage Formation into cancer

Mutations
 No change

radiation
hit cell Mutated cell
nucleus!
 Biological effects

Biological effects can be categorized in to two :

 Immediate Effects (Deterministic Effects)

usually reversible, < 6 months
 E.g. Lens opacities, skin injuries, infertility, epilating, Death etc

 Late Effects (Stochastic Effects)

usually irreversible, > 6 months
 E.g. Cancer, genetic effects.
 Deterministic effects (immediate effects)
 Occurs at high doses; will not happen below certain
threshold dose values

• Above the threshold value the

Effect severity of injury is directly
proportional to the dose received.

•Deterministic effects can occur in

Indus. Radiography.

Dose
 Stochastic Effects (late effects)
 This is a risk of radiation-induced injury from relatively low doses.

 Long term studies (epidemiological studies) indicated that there is a

risk of cancer induction from radiation exposure.

Probability of the effect occurring

Effect is proportional to the size of the
dose received but there is no
threshold level.

Dose
Factors affect to biological damage
 Cell damage depend on the

 magnitude of dose received and the rate of dose

 Which Organ received the radiation dose

 Categorization of dose

 < 0.5 Sv: LOW DOSE

 0.5 -10 Sv: MODERATE DOSE

 > 10 Sv: HIGH DOSE

 Acute exposure - A high dose received over a
short period of time

 Chronic exposure – A low dose received over a

long period of time.

 High dose received over a short period of time will cause more damage than
the same dose received over a period of days

 An acute dose in excess of 1 Sv - range of observable injuries.

 Deterministic Effects
Damage from Acute exposures

 Erythema
 Dose to the skin surface > 5 Sv or
greater
 1-24 hours after irradiation
 Reddening of the skin very much like
conventional sunburns. Reddening is
caused by damage to the tissue
immediately below the skin surface. This
may be first indicator if a high exposure.

• Handling of 1TBq Ir-192 source for 17 seconds. EPIDERMIS

• Having the hands in front of the beam port of a X-
ray set operating 250 kV, 10 mA for 17 sec .
DERMIS
(3.7 TBq = 100Ci)
Deterministic Effects
Damage from Acute exposures

 Depilation
 Dose to the scalp of 4 Sv or more
 Hair loss caused by damage to the hair follicles
 Effect is temporary at 4 Sv. At 7 Sv or above effect is
permenent
 Deterministic Effects
Damage from Acute exposures

 Blood count depression

 Whole body dose of about 1 Sv or more.
 Damage lymp glands and blood stem cells in bone marrow. This damage
interrupt the production of blood cells.
 Signeficant reduction of blood count after the exposure.

•WBC may be expected to reduce 15% of its

% original value within a few weeks after
normal exposure.
count
This leaves the patient to infections
Reduction of red blood cells results in anemia.
Blood count will normal after several months.

Days after exposure

Deterministic Effects
Damage from Acute exposures

 Burns
 High radiation sources excess of 10Sv to the skin
 Burn type injuries due to initial ulceration followed by
tissue necrosis
 Somebody handle a high activity source such as
Industrial Radiography source could receive this
injury.
 Treatment required specialized medical care, injury
may be amputation of affected tissue.
 Deterministic Effects
Damage from Acute exposures

Skin Burn
Deterministic Effects
Damage from Acute exposures
Deterministic Effects
Damage from Acute exposures

Industrial Radiography Accidents

Yanango, Peru 1999

1.37 TBq 192Ir.

2 days after accident;
blister on upper thigh.
Other Injuries
 1 -10 Sv Bone marrow Syndrome

 10 -50 Sv Gastro Intestinal Syndrome

 Mouth, pharynx, stomach, colon, , oesophagus,
rectum
 Damage gastro-intestinal tract damage gut lining
resultant ulceration and internal hemorrhaging

 > 50 Sv CNS
 Damage the Central Nerves System resulting loss of
consciousness, agitation, apathy, coma
Effects of antenatal exposure
 Mental retardation:

 ICRP establishes that mental retardation can be induced by radiation

 It occurs during the most RS period: 8-25 week of pregnancy.
 Risks of antenatal exposure related to mental retardation are:

8-15 week 15-25 week

Severe mental retardation with a Severe mental retardation with a
Risk factor of Risk factor of

0.4/Sv 0.1/Sv
Radiation sickness
 Complex sequence of radiation induced injuries
(some of that mentioned earlier)
Can occur at equivalent dose above 1 Sv and follows a three stage
progression.

 Shortly after exposure – feel sick and may vomit caused by

build-up toxins.

 After about 1 day – the person begin to recover; this stage

might last several weeks.

 Third stage - more serious damaging effect blood count

depression, GIS , CNS
 Radiosensitivity
High RS Medium RS Low RS

Bone Marrow Skin Muscle

Spleen Mesoderm organs Bones
Thymus (liver, heart, lungs…) Nervous system
Lymphatic nodes
Gonads
Eye lens
Lymphocytes
Late Effects

Late Effects

Somatic Effects Genetic Effects

They affect the health of the They affect the health of

irradiated person. They are the offspring of the
mainly different kinds of cancer irradiated person. They are
(leukemia is the most common, mutations that cause
with a delay period of 2-5 years, malformation of any kind
but also colon, lung, stomach (such as mongolism)
cancer…)
Action on DNA
mutation ?

Chromosomal deletions
mutation ?

Chromosomal translocations
Can damaged DNA
repairer ?
Repair of DNA damage

 RADIOBIOLOGISTS ASSUME THAT THE

REPAIR SYSTEM IS NOT 100%

EFFECTIVE.
jslsrK mej;Su wmg bkao%sh f.dapr fkdfõ tu ksid
jslsrKhg ksrdjrKh jSu wmg fkdoefka

 tfy;a jslsrK ms<sn|j wkjYH nshla we;s lr .; hq;= ke;

 jslsrK wm mrsirfhau fldgils

 Background Radiation

Air

Cosmic

Food
Terrestrial
 Man Made Sources of Radiation

0.05 mSv per trip

5,000 Km travel by air

Medical

Power Plants and Fallout

 Background Radiation mdrsirsl jslsrK

Background Radiation

Terrestrial Radiation Cosmic Radiation

fN!usl jslsrK wka;rSCI lsrK

U, Th, Ra, Rn Heavy ions like H+

Be careful !!!
 wmf.a wjOdkh fhduq jsh hq;af;a fuu mdrsirsl jslsrK j,g fkdj Bg
mrsndysr jQ usksid jsiska mrsirhg tl;= lrk ,o jslsrK j,gh

 iajNdjsl jslsrKYS,S \%jH tla /ia lrk fyda idka\%Kh lrk ia:dk wi, jdih lsrSu
wjodkï

 jslsrKYS,S \%jH fyda jslsrK fhdod f.k krkq ,nk ffjoH lu— lrAudka; Yd,d
wdYs%;j wkjYH f,i .ejiSu iqoqiq ke;

 kHIagsl m%;sls%hd ldrl wi, cSj;a jSu iqoqiq ke;

 jslsrKfhka isoq jk ydksh uekSu
Quantities for Biological Effect

ffjoH lghq;= iy jsjsO mrAfhaIK i|yd

 jslsrKYS,S \%jHhl ils%h;dj uekSu (Activity)

Bq , Ci

1 Bq = 1 dps

1Ci = 3.7 x 1010Bq

Exposure ksrdjrKh
hï lsis \%jHhla fyda mqoa.,hl= X /
γ lsrK j,g ksrdjrKh jSfuka we;s
jk whk hq., ixLHdj

R 1 hkq i W mS ys mj;sk jsh,s

jd;h tla .%Euhl whk hq., 1.6 x 10
23
la ksmo jSug wjYH jslsrK Yla;s
m%udKh

Unit - Roentgen ( R )
wjfIdaYK ud;%dj (Absorbed Dose)

Joule 1
1 Kg
Gy
1 Gy = 1 J kg-1

Gy 1 hkq jslsrKhg ksrdjrKh jSfuka

´kEu \%jHhl Kg 1 l ialkaOhla u.ska
J l Yla;shla wjfYdaIKh lsrSuhs

fuys merKs tallh rad

rad 100 = 1 Gy
 Gy yd rad hkq jslsrK ud;%dfõ fN!;sl rdYs fõ jslsrK j,ska we;s l,
yels cSj jsoHd;aul ydksh (Biological Effect) uekSu i|yd fuh
iqoqiq fkd fõ

 fuhg fya;=j jsjsO jslsrK jrA. j, iudk ud;%d u.ska isoq jk ydksh fjkia
jSuhs

γ
 Ex:
 γ lsrK yd α lsrK isrefrA tAll ialkaOhl tlu Yla;s m%udKhla ;ekam;a l,;a fuu lsrK
foflka isrerg jk ydksh jsjsOhs

 Gy 1 l α jslsrK ud;%djlska isoq lrk ydksh Gy 1 l β jslsrK ud;%djlska isoq lrk

ydksh fuka 10 – 20 .=Khlska jevsh

 γ lsrK α wxY+ j,g jvd jsksjo hhs tfy;a α wxY+j kej;Sug fmr .uka lrk flgs oqfrAoS
we;s lrkq ,nk whk hq., ixLHdj b;d jevsh
 α wxY+ msg lrk m%Njhla isrerg msgska we;akï bka isoq jk ydksh
wju fõ

 tfy;a tjeks m%Njhla isrer wNHka;rfha we;akï ydksh b;d jsYd,hs

 γ lsrKhla isrerg msgska t,a, jqjfyd;a th isrer wNHka;rh olajd .uka

lrhs
 ;=,H ud;%dj (Equivalent Dose)
 iEu jslsrK jrA.hlskau isoqjk n,mEu fmdoqfõ m%ldY lsrSu i|yd iïu; lr we;s jslsrK
Odrs;l% idOlhlska.=K lsrSfuka ;=,H ud;%dj ,nd .; yel
(Radiation Weighting Factor)

;=,H ud;%dj = wjfIdaYK ud;%dj x jslsrK Odrs;l% idOlh

Equivalent Dose = Absorbed Dose x R.W.F

tAllh Sv
merKs tAllh rem
 tla tla jslsrK jrA.h i|yd iïu; lr we;s jslsrK Odrs;l% idOlhka
Radiation weighting Factors

 X, γ - 1
 Β- -
2
 Slow neutron - 10
 Fast neutron - 20
 α - 10

E. D = Absorbed Dose x R.W.F

fuu wrA: oelajSug wkqj 1 Sv jk TkEu jslsrKhla u.ska wdikak jYfhka tl iudk m%udKhl
cSj jsoFd;aul ydkshla isoq lrhs
iM, ud;%dj (Effective Dose)

YrSrfha jsjsO bkao%Sh yd mgl jslsrK j,g olajk

ixfjzos;dj jsjsOh (Radiosensitivity)
 Radiosensitivity
High RS Medium RS Low RS
Bone Marrow Skin Muscle
Spleen Mesoderm organs Bones
Thymus (liver, heart, lungs…) Nervous system
Lymphatic nodes
Gonads
Eye lens
Lymphocytes (exception to
the RS laws)
iM, ud;%dj (Effective Dose)

Wod f,i jslsrKfha tlu ud;%djlg iu olajk ixfjzoS;dj wei olajkafka

ke;

iM, ud;%dj ,nd .kafka ;=,H ud;%dj mgl Odrs;;%

idOlhlska .+K lsrSfuks

iM, ud;%dj = ;=,H ud;%dj x mgl Odrs;;%

idOlh
Effective Dose = Equivalent x Tissue Weighting
Dose Factor
tla tla mglhg wod, Tissue Weighting Factor

Tissue or Organ TWF

Gonads 0.20
Bone Marrow 0.12
Colon 0.12
Lung 0.12
Stomach 0.12
Bladder 0.05
Breast 0.05
Liver 0.05
Esophagus 0.05
Thyroid 0.05
Skin 0.01
Bone Surface 0.01
Remainder 0.05
wka;rAcd;sl iuzu;hka g (International Standards)
wkqj usksiqka ksrdjrKh jsh yels Wmrsu iM, jslsrK
ud;%djka

idudkH usksil= - 1 mSv / year

jslsrK iu.Z jev - 20 mSv / year

lrk wh
jsjsO jslsrK m%Nj ^iajNdjsl yd usksid jsiska mrsirhg tl;=
lrk ,o& u.ska usksia isrerg tla wjqreoaolg ,ensh yels ;=,H
ud;%djka
m%Njh mSv / yr

Cosmic Rays ^uqoq ugzgfuzoS& 0.25

Terrestrial Radiation 1.00

jslsrKfjzoS iuia:dksl 0.80
tlaia lsrK 1-2 mSv
kHIagsl wjs yd wk;=re j,ska mrsirhg tl;= jq 0.05
jslsrK