Harmful Effects of Radiation Pollution

As radioactive materials decay, they produce ionizing radiation, which can damage any living tissue in the human body, notes the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Radioactive materials may be found in microwave ovens, medical X-ray machines and radon gas. However, the most dangerous source of radiation may be nuclear weapons, which can release isotopes that remain in the atmosphere for 100 years. Nuclear accidents can create environmental pollution, which is particularly devastating.
Contaminated Water

Nuclear accidents may produce fallout which can pollute water supplies for years after the incident, warns the World Health Organization (WHO). The 1986 explosion of a nuclear generator in Chernobyl (Ukraine) created a large radioactive cloud which polluted existing water supplies and produced contaminated rain in nearby countries.
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Contaminated Soil and Plants

Nuclear radiation can contaminate soil, leading to plants which contain radiation and pose a health threat to individuals. Researchers explored the Marshall Islands, an area widely known for nuclear bomb testing by the U.S. military in the 1950s and 1960s. They found that current soil samples and local foods, including coconut meat, contained radiation levels significant enough to pose a health risk to individuals.
Cancer

The Chernobyl explosion led to increased prevalence of cancer in young children in Belarus, the Russian Federation, and the Ukraine. According to the Greenpeace 2006 report, “Chernobyl Catastrophe Consequences on Human Health,” over 2 billion people have been exposed to the radioactive fallout, which will result in 250,000 cases of cancer, nearly half of them fatal.
Brain Damage

High exposure to radiation early on in gestation can have damaging effects on the brain, notes the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Infants between the eighth and 15th weeks of pregnancy who were exposed to the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II were discovered to have a greater incidence of brain damage, with side effects including lower IQs and, in some cases, severe mental retardation.
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References

* Environmental Protection Agency: Radiation and Health
* Journal of Health Physics: Radiation Doses for Marshall Islands Atolls Affected by U.S. Nuclear Testing
* World Health Organization: Water Sanitation and Health
* Greenpeace International: Greenpeace New Study Reveals Death Toll of Chernobyl Enormously Underestimated


Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/165743-harmful-effects-of-radiation-pollution/#ixzz1RrJpvGdp