Protective clothing has been developed for people who work around radioactive materials on a regular basis or who might be called to respond to a nuclear accident where radioactivity has been released into the environment.
Radioactive materials are widely used in our high-tech society. There are medical application, industrial applications, research applications, nuclear power plants and nuclear weapons development. In addition, there is a great deal of radioactive waste left over from past uses. What can be done to protect people from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation?
Radiation is used to treat many different cancers. About one half of the new invasive cancer cases will be treated with radiation. The procedures and equipment have been developed to optimized damage to the cancerous tumors and tissue with minimal damage to surrounding healthy tissue. When a beam of radiation is directed at a tumor, the normal tissue in the path of the beam can be damaged.
Skin can be damaged by exposure to radioactivity either by accident or by medical treatments involving radioisotopes. Some of the symptoms accompanying radiation exposure include redness, swelling, numbness, itching, tingling, dryness, peeling, changes in color, loss of hair, thinning, hardening and open wounds. The natural healing capability of the human epidermis can deal with some radiation damage.
