Radiation

The dangers of Radiation depend on the amount that is present. It has been found that subtle amounts of radiation over a large period of time will induct cancer after years or decades. Contact with brief low-level radiation is found to be safe and results in no serious side effects. Higher doses of Radiation will result in radiation burns or even rapid fatality because of of acute radiation syndrome.

Induction of Cancer
Radiation-induced cancer occurs with both ionizing and non-ionizing radiation and can occur by either ingesting radiated substances or through chronic radiation exposure. Ionizing radiation typically creates the danger of cancer in the future, specificially leukemia. There is a latent period of a few years to a few decades. This most frequently occurs with natural background radiation that happens at a rate of 5.5% per sievert. Subtle radiation damage happens stochastically, however the higher doses of radiation tend to increase the probability.

When a single cells operations are disrupted the organic tissue ionizes and breaks the molecular bonds, altering the pieces which hold the cell together. Sometimes the cell is able to heal itself, but some chromosome abnormalities are irrepairable and sometimes repairs to other functions of the cell are incomplete. Typically, damage to the cells result in the inability to reproduce or cell death, but if the damage is acute then the cell will remain stable and reproduce with the damage. These lightly-damaged cells are cancerous and will eventually result in tumors.

Radiation Burn
Radiation burns occur when a person is exposed to high levels of radiation; the areas which the burn effects determines its lethality. Determining the damage of radiation burns depends on the energy levels: low-energy often results in shallow ulcers, while high-energy can deeply penetrate and cause serious disruptions in the epidermis. It can be caused by directing a beam of radioactive energy or by the snow-like particles typically found after a nuclear fallout. The damages typically consist of ulcers forming, inconsistently red skin, loss of hair, atrophy, necrosis and after a latent period of 24 to 48 hours extreme itchiness and irritation to the affected area.

Acute Radiation Syndrome
Acute Radiation Syndrome are the immediate affects within 24 hours of exposure to radiation. Small amounts of radiation may cause  nausea, vomitting and any other sort of gastrointestinal problem, while larger amounts can cause neurological problems and rapid death.