HEALTHCARE

Healthcare: Living With Environmental Risks from Nature

Radiation is a type of energy that moves with waves or particles, the most common type is ionizing radiation, which is extremely harmful (Funk et al., 2016). Radiation exposure has definite insinuations that will be discussed in this paper with mitigation strategies. Moreover, scientific, technology and societal issues are also elucidated for a thorough understanding.

Scientific Issues Regarding Radiation Environmental Risk

Constant scientific research investigates possible risks and their severity for catalyzing risk perception (Kim, 2016). Media is key in shaping peoples perceptions and health hazards from scientific experiments. The involvement of radiation technology and its stigmatizations negatively influence peoples health. Unless the alleviated risk perception becomes conducive to scientific research, exacerbating the risks could be catered to (Kim, 2016).

The social stigmatization of nuclear experiments goes a long way toward causing a discrepancy between the opinions of the experts and that of laymen (Kim, 2016). It involves the accuracy of the opinions that should be corroborated by evidence and both sides of the arguments that state for and against for the view. Health communication done by the media might not be the right way as they worsen the impact that the human body experiences due to radiation exposure; again, the public consensus remains the same since the human phenomenon displays its consequences adding to the publics anxiety (Kim, 2016).

Scientific institutes like the Departments of Defense and Health and Human Services are expediting their efforts towards such research work, which would inculcate increasing the danger of survival, decreasing life perils and resulting morbidity, and risk reduction due to ionizing radiation (IR) (Rosen et al., 2015).

Technological Issues Regarding Radiation Environmental Risk

Radiation biodosimetry technologies are commonly used to detect biological hazards of radiation exposure (Sproulll et al., 2017). The ionizing radiation and their types, such as alpha, gamma, X-ray, and neutron, are crucial for amplifying awareness of their risk for better mitigation of the consequences (Sproulll et al., 2017). In this regard, X-rays and gamma are the greatest risk imposers as they directly impact human tissues (Sproulll et al., 2017). Alpha and beta radiations have comparatively lower risks as they have less power to penetrate the human body (Sproulll et al., 2017).

Moreover, acute radiation syndrome (ARS) is a major threat when exposed to high levels of radiation that appear in the form of biological injury (Sproulll et al., 2017). The severity of the injury could be detected from the level of radiation the body was exposed to, subsyndromes that were altered, and other relevant syndromes that are hematopoietic, gastrointestinal, neurovascular, and cutaneous (Sproulll et al., 2017).

Societal Issues Regarding Radiation Environmental Risk

Research has indicated that a high socioeconomic impact has been observed for greater poverty segments in the population being exposed to radiation than those living in posh areas (Freeman et...

…radiation, should be considered as radiation would get absorbed to the maximum extent with this dose. Distance from radiation could alleviate the effect on the human body, hence, lesser tissue or organ damage for the person. The shielding is another important aspect contributing to risk reduction as lead glasses, shields on mobile screens, and barriers could help reduce X-rays and gamma rays, the most hazardous of all (Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, n.d.).

Assessment of Its Exposure, Release and Health Effects

Environmental risk due to radiation has an impact on human health as health. Since the early days, radiation has been in use. The knowledge deficiency in managing human health has been a concern for medical experts. People being exposed to x-rays or even passing the entrance gate when entering a shopping mall are all examples of humans being exposed to radiation inevitably. However, minimum exposure to these radiation types is not detrimental to health compared to high intensity, such as nuclear bomb blasts that might cause high-level skin burn and a certain radiation sickness known as acute radiation syndrome (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2022).

Radiation exposure could include risks for children and older adults (Jain, 2021). The negative impacts might include rapid growth of cells, DNA damage, influence on adult life span, and cells could be in danger (Jain, 2021). Prenatal radiation exposure could cause life risk and brain issues damage in newborn babies. Further…