Page 139 - Radiation Safety
P. 139
Radiation effects: General
High doses of radiation (>10 Sv) will damage a cell to such an
extent that the cell dies shortly after the exposure.
Low doses of radiation (<0.5 Sv) will not kill the cell but may alter
the chromosome structure in a fashion that is not detectable.
Intermediate doses (0.5 – 10 Sv) will not kill the cells but may
prevent them from replicating or carrying out their normal
function.
The extent of the damage to cell systems will also be dependant
on the rate at which the exposure is received. Because of cell
repair mechanisms, a high dose received over a short period of
time (eg. a few minutes) will cause considerably more damage
than the same dose received over a period of several days.
