Radiation is everywhere you look. It’s in places you would never think, and being exposed to high levels of it can cause many health issues like cancer, genetic mutation, and even organ failure. According to the World Health Organization; long exposure can increase the likelihood of cancer.
“It is used to treat cancer and kills its cells. I also think it can make your hair fall out,” said Sebastian Deborah.
While it can be extremely harmful, it is also used to help some of the problems it creates. Radio Therapy is applied to help treat cancer patients. Radiation is found in X-ray scans, and CT Scans. So, there is a gray area for its usage.
“Yes, I had to have an MRI for my knee, and during that experience, I was exposed to radiation,” shared drama teacher, Ms. Lianne Rodriguez.
Acute radiation exposure, like an explosion, can have severe effects on our health. The International Atomic Energy Agency (AEA) provides guidelines to help consumers learn how to protect themselves against nuclear accidents as well as over exposure.
“Other than it causing cancer, I only really know that it’s in bombs as well and that there’s a place where we are not allowed to go because it has too much radiation.”
— Senior Sebastian Pacheco
The incident that Sebastian was referring to was the Chernobyl Accident in 1986. It was an explosion of the fourth reactor in the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. It was also near the city of Pripyat in Ukraine. At the time, aabout 31 people died during the explosion. Today, the radiation is so prevalent that no one is allowed near.
The dangers of radiation outweigh the ways it can help people. Therefore, everyone must be very careful when exposed to it. Radiation is pretty much everywhere, including in cellphones, on airplanes, and much more.
