X-RAYS RADIATION FALL-OUT AND CANCER

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Irritants such as excessive exposure to sunlight in the case of very fair-skinned persons or constant chewing of betel may produce cancer. A decayed tooth can cause cancer of the tongue if the tooth has sharp or rough edges and if it constantly rubs against the inside of the mouth. The amount of radiation in the atmosphere has an important bearing on diseases such as leukemia or cancer of the blood; and that is the main reason why people are so disturbed about atomic tests or by the building of more atomic power stations. While the effects of radiation on the body are disturbing, its action on unborn children is even more so.

Radioactive fall-out comes from tests or nuclear weapons and other atomic explosions: most of the radioactive dust particles lose their power over number of years, but others, such as strontium-90 last permanently. The amount of radioactivity in the atmosphere is now coming down because of the controls imposed on atomic explosions, but the position can be entirely reversed if there is an accident in even one of the numerous atomic power plants which are now operating in various parts of the world.