National Institutes of Health
- The primary NIH organization for research on Radiation Exposure is the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine 
National Institutes of Health
Radiation Exposure
Radiation is energy that travels in the form of waves or high-speed particles. It occurs naturally in sunlight. Man-made radiation is used in X-rays, nuclear weapons, nuclear power plants and cancer treatment.
If you are exposed to small amounts of radiation over a long time, it raises your risk of cancer. It can also cause mutations in your genes, which you could pass on to any children you have after the exposure. A lot of radiation over a short period, such as from a radiation emergency, can cause burns or radiation sickness. Symptoms of radiation sickness include nausea, weakness, hair loss, skin burns and reduced organ function. If the exposure is large enough, it can cause premature aging or even death. You may be able to take medicine to reduce the radioactive material in your body.
Environmental Protection Agency
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Start Here
- Radioactive Contamination and Radiation Exposure(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- RadTown USA: Basic Information(Environmental Protection Agency)
The top row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Basics
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Learn More
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Multimedia & Cool Tools
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For group Basics
For group Learn More
For group Multimedia & Cool Tools
The bottom row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Research
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Reference Shelf
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For You
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For group Research
For group Reference Shelf
For group For You
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Overviews
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Get the Facts about Radiation(National Institutes of Health)
- Health Effects(Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and Radiation)
- Radiation(Environmental Protection Agency)
- Radiation Sickness(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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Get the Facts about Radiation
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Latest News
- Benefits of CT Scans May Outweigh Cancer Risk for Young Adults(02/05/2013, HealthDay)
- Many People Unaware of Radiation Risk from CT Scans(01/03/2013, Reuters Health)
- Future Astronauts May Be Exposed to Alzheimer's Risk Factor(01/02/2013, HealthDay)
- More News on Radiation Exposure
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Treatment
- Facts about DTPA (Diethylenetriaminepentaacetate)(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Potassium Iodide (KI)(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Prussian Blue(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
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Prevention/Screening
- Exposure Pathways(Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and Radiation)
- Radiation Protection Basics(Environmental Protection Agency)
- Reducing Radiation from Medical X-rays(Food and Drug Administration)
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Specific Conditions
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Accidents at Nuclear Power Plants and Cancer Risk(National Cancer Institute)
- Acute Radiation Syndrome(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Also available in Spanish
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Cell Phones and Cancer Risk(National Cancer Institute)
- Also available in Spanish
- Commonly Encountered Radionuclides(Environmental Protection Agency)
- Consumer Products Containing Radioactive Materials(Health Physics Society) - PDF
- Effects and Security Screening(Health Physics Society)
- FAQs: Japan Nuclear Concerns(World Health Organization)
- Also available in Spanish
- Gamma Rays(Environmental Protection Agency)
- Ionizing and Non-Ionizing Radiation(Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and Radiation)
- Ionizing Radiation(Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
- Microwave Ovens(Environmental Protection Agency)
- Radiation Exposure from Medical Exams and Procedures(Health Physics Society) - PDF
- Radiation Exposure in X-Ray and CT Examinations(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America)
- Also available in Spanish
- Radiation Safety: Questions about Food Safety(Food and Drug Administration)
- Radiation-Emitting Products: Televisions and Video Display Monitors(Food and Drug Administration)
- Radioactive Isotopes(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Sealed Radioactive Sources(Environmental Protection Agency)
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Accidents at Nuclear Power Plants and Cancer Risk
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Related Issues
- Ask the Experts in Radiation Safety: Questions and Answers(Health Physics Society)
- Cancer in People Exposed to Nuclear Weapons Testing(American Cancer Society)
- Food Irradiation: What You Need to Know(Food and Drug Administration)
- Lasers Radiation(Environmental Protection Agency)
- Mail Irradiation(Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and Radiation)
- Measuring Radiation(U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission)
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Nasopharyngeal Radium Irradiation (NRI) and Cancer(National Cancer Institute)
- Nuclear Radiation and the Thyroid(American Thyroid Association)
- Also available in Spanish
- Radiation Doses in Perspective(Environmental Protection Agency)
- Radiation Exposure and Cancer(American Cancer Society)
- Also available in Spanish
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Pictures & Photographs
- Radiation Symbols(Environmental Protection Agency)
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Health Check Tools
- Calculate Your Radiation Dose(Environmental Protection Agency)
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Videos
- Reducing Radiation from Medical X-Rays(Food and Drug Administration)
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Research
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Decades Later, Chernobyl Accident Yields Clues to Leukemia Risk(National Cancer Institute)
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Decades Later, Chernobyl Accident Yields Clues to Leukemia Risk
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Some UV-bystander effects are mediated through induction of antioxidant defense...
- Article: Pathobiology of actinic keratosis: ultraviolet-dependent keratinocyte proliferation.
- Article: Professional exposure to ionizing radiations in health workers and white...
- Radiation Exposure -- see more articles
- Radiation pollution -- see more articles
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Dictionaries/Glossaries
- Acronyms of Radiation(Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and Radiation)
- Radiation Dictionary(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Radiation Glossary(Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and Radiation)
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Directories
- Radioactively Contaminated National Priorities List (NPL) Sites(Environmental Protection Agency)
- Visit a Regional Office(Environmental Protection Agency)
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Organizations
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Also available in Spanish
- Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and Radiation
- National Center for Environmental Health(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
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National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
- U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
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Law and Policy
- Basic Information about the Radionuclides Rule(Environmental Protection Agency)
- Radiation Protection: Basic Information(Environmental Protection Agency)
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Children
- Home Preparation Procedure for Emergency Administration of Potassium Iodide Tablets to Infants and Small Children(Food and Drug Administration)
- What Parents Should Know about CT Scans for Children(Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging) - PDF
- What Parents Should Know about Medical Radiation Safety(Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging) - PDF
- What Parents Should Know About Medical Radiation Safety in Pediatric Interventional Radiology(Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging) - PDF
- What You Should Know About Pediatric Nuclear Medicine and Radiation Safety(Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging) - PDF
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Women
- Are X-Rays Safe during Pregnancy?(American Academy of Family Physicians)
- Also available in Spanish
- Radiation and Pregnancy(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Also available in Spanish
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Patient Handouts
- Radiation sickness
- Also available in Spanish
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You may also be interested in these related encyclopedia pages:
MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA
Languages
Radiation Exposure - Multiple Languages
