10 radiation myths you should stop believing in

Myth 1. Radiation green

In many films, TV series and video games, an unspoken rule is strictly observed: everything related to radioactivity must be painted in a poisonous green color and emit an ominous glow in the dark. If the character is touched by this radiance, then he will die. Well, or gain superpowers - as luck would have it.

In the real world, radiation itself is invisible. It does not create any green shimmer. But at the same time, alpha particles, moving through nitrogen in the air, make it glowWhere did the myth that radiation glows green come from? / Mental Floss. True, the glow is not green, but pale blue, like an electric arc. And you can notice it only when it is dark enough around.

The myth that radiation is green is associated with clocks and other illuminated devices. Until the 60s, they placedGreen glow of radiation / ABC Science

cones with radium salts, and later with less dangerous tritium. The contents were tinted with a green phosphor, and therefore the substances glowed in the dark with this very color. He was chosen because he is more conspicuous.

In addition, there is such a phenomenon as the effectCherenkova - Vavilov radiation / Great Russian Encyclopedia Vavilov - Cherenkov - when fast electrons make the medium through which they pass to glow. It can be observed, for example, in the coolant of a nuclear reactor. But the radiation here is again not green, but bluish.

Myth 2. 100 grams of vodka helps against radiation

A common misconception that is also reflected in popular culture. In the video game Stalker, the effects of radiation are treated with vodka. In the series “Chernobyl»They drink alcohol in every second scene.

And many people sincerely believe that 100, 200 or more grams of vodka will be great against any atomic bomb. And if it doesn't work, you need to increase the dose, and everything will be fine.

Actually vodkaMyth or Fact? - Will Alcohol Help Protect Against Radiation? / Nevada Technical AssociatesLike any other alcoholic beverages, it does not remove radioactive particles from the body and does not save it from ionizing radiation in any way. Alcohol can be a carcinogen in itself and is strictly prohibitedStudy confirms alcohol consumption raises cancer risk / Cancer Treatment Centers of America used by people undergoing radiation therapy - and they are already familiar with radiation firsthand.

Perhaps a myth appearedIs it true that wine is included in the diet of Russian submariners? / Verified due to the fact that the diet of sailors on nuclear submarines includes alcohol. True, not vodka, but 100 grams of red wine. And this is done not to protect against some kind of radiation, but to improve digestion.

Myth 3. People create radiation

In the mind of many, radiation is something created by man. Industrial production, nuclear power plants and, which is especially dangerous, 5G towers - all this stuff irradiates the population with terrible force. And before the industrial revolution, no radiation existed at all.

Those were glorious times when our ancestors were happy, did not get sick and lived for at least 200 years.

In fact, the contribution of industrial production to the total radiation background is negligible.Information collection. Irradiation doses to the population of the Russian Federation in 2019 / NIIRG named after prof. Ramzaeva - 0.006 millisieverts per year. But natural sources of radiation bringSources and effects of ionizing radiation / United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation an average of 2.40 mSv. For comparison: astronauts on the ISS endure as much as 266 mSv per year - and nothing, they seem to be alive.

You get most of the radiation from the air and soil: the earth's crust contains substances such as uranium, thorium, radium and radon. In addition, solar radiation and neutrons arriving from distant stars and galaxies.

The radiation background has always existed, a person increases it only slightly. Well, until he blows up various toys like hydrogen bombs and accidentally melts the nuclei of a nuclear power plant.

Myth 4. Due to radiation, you can acquire extra body parts or superpowers

Usually in movies, the effects of ionizing radiation are visible to the naked eye. Radiation victims get tentacles become covered with ominous abscesses, grow additional heads, or at least turn green.

In some cases, however, external injuries can be avoided, but the body receives various superpowers. And their owner becomes a superhero or something.

In reality, the destructive effect of radiation is almost always invisible externally - as a rule, these are various tumors and failure of internal organs.

Radiation damagesL. J. Eccles, P. O'Neill. Delayed repair of radiation induced clustered DNA damage: Friend or foe? / Mutation Research DNA spirals, cells lose the ability to divide normally and either become cancerous or die.

Rebuild an already existing organism, forcing it to acquire, say, extra heads or limbs, radiationCan You Really Get Superpowers From Radiation? / Flip Science can not. But if radiation hits the germ cells, then various mutations (in most cases, destructive) may appear in the next generation. In addition, radioactive particles can affect the developing embryo and cause various malformations.

So gamma radiation would not turn Dr. Bruce Banner into the Hulk, as in the comics, but triteUnderstand the science of radiation that gave Marvel Comics' superheroes, the Fantastic Four their powers / Britannica would be his bone marrow cancer.

Myth 5. Iodine saves from radiation

This is also a myth. Iodine as such, it cannot counteract ionizing radiation. However, sometimes it is given to victims of disasters associated with radiation contamination.

If during an accident the radioactive isotope iodine-131 gets into the air, it will begin to accumulate in the human thyroid gland, leading to the risk of oncological diseases of this organ. However, if you fill inProtect Yourself from Radiation / EPA the thyroid gland with ordinary, safe for the body potassium iodide, the unstable isotope will not be absorbed.

But this element protects only the thyroid gland and only from iodine-131 poisoning. If the threat of infection with this substance is not foreseen, iodine will not save from anything and will not eliminate the consequences for already damaged organs.

What's more, safe potassium iodide itself is unhealthy in large quantities and should not be taken unless directed by a doctor.

Myth 6. Microwaves, TVs and 5G-towers "glow" with radiation

No, no matter what some say, neither a TV, nor a computer, nor a telephone will kill you. Modern electronics does not contain radioactive substances and creates radiation thousands of times weaker than ionizing, and therefore no dangerTelevision Radiation / FDA does not carry.

The microwave oven is also safe, unless, of course, you get into it completely. Microwave radiationMicrowave Oven Radiation / FDA has a much lower frequency than gamma rays, and it is well shielded by the body of the device and the metal mesh.

Some X-rays could have been produced by really old CRT TVs that were producedThe Claim: Sitting Too Close to the TV Is Bad for Your Eyes / The New York Times up to 50s.

So if you are still watching a black and white TV set inherited from your great-grandfather, we advise you to replace it with something newer.

Also, old watches with light compositions with radium applied to them are capable of firing, so it is better to take them to the hazardous waste collection point. But such devices at home, as a rule, are rare, and modern technology will not irradiate you with anything.

As for the dangers of 5G towers, the myths about them have long been debunked all and sundry, including Lifehacker. The radio waves they emit are even less intense than sunlight, not to mention ionizing rays. So, in theory, you are more likely to receive radiation on the beach than standing next to a tower.

Myth 7. Lead-padded clothing will save radiation exposure

This is true, but only partially. There are three types of radiation - alpha, beta and gamma.

Alpha particle streams can stopJ. J. Peirce. Alpha Radiation / Radioactivity in the Environment just paper or even your skin. But if they affect the eyes, respiratory system or digestive tract, serious health problems will arise - up to radiation sickness.

Beta particles are more dangerousL. Jødal. Beta emitters and radiation protection / Acta Oncologica, because they are able to overcome the skin. Clothing can stop them, but plexiglass and aluminum foil are more effective. Plain window glass also works well, though.

Gamma radiation is the most powerful and has the highest penetrating power. And against him, as well as X-rays, lead will come in handy. Aprons from it are usedStructural shielding design for medical X-ray imaging facilities / NCRP radiographers and other professionals who deal with radiation equipment.

They are primarily intended to protect the reproductive organs. But such ammunition only reduces the risk to the health of people who are close to weak sources of ionizing radiation for a long time, for example, X-ray machines.

No lead suit will save you from really strong gamma radiation, which happens during accidents at nuclear power plants or from the explosion of atomic bombs. It will be stopped only by a thick layer of concrete, and you cannot put it on yourself.

Myth 8. Nuclear power plants throw radioactive waste into the air

Nuclear power plants seem to many people to be something dangerous and frightening, because it is not very clear how they work. When some are looking at huge NPP "pipes" and see how white smoke is pouring out from there, then they believe that this is some kind of waste, and most likely radioactive.

Only these hefty things are not pipes, but cooling towers. And the substance they throw out is ordinary water vapor, and it poses no danger.

To simplify as much as possible, a nuclear power plant works like this. The reactor heats upWater and atom. How the relations between the NPP, the river and the surrounding nature develop / RosAtom water in closed heat exchange tubes, where it is under high pressure, which is why it does not turn into steam. This water is sent to steam generators and there, through a system of heat exchangers, it in turn heats the liquid from other tanks, creating steam.

It turns a turbine, it generates electricity, and steam is released through the cooling tower. Direct contact with radioactive substances is excluded: it remains in a closed primary circuit and is never released into the atmosphere.

When properly designed and operated, nuclear power plants are an exceptionally clean energy source.

Strictly speaking, coal-fired power plants even produce more radioactive emissions when burning fuel. After all, the seams contain coal not in pure form, but with various impurities - including uranium and thorium.

EstimatedDo coal ‑ fired power stations produce radioactive waste? / BBC Science Focus Magazine Oak Ridge National Laboratory, USA, coal-fired power plants around the world generate so much waste every year that they can scrape together about 5,000 tons of uranium and 15,000 tons of thorium. In general, traditional thermal power plants affect the radiation background 100 times stronger than nuclear power plants.

Myth 9. Radon baths are useful

This is the name of bathing in the mineralWITH. G. Abramovich. Physiotherapy water containing the radioactive gas radon. It is assumed that this "cleanses the body and forces the cells to renew". Yes, there are people who sincerely believe that in small quantities, radiation is also beneficial. In the end, "everything is poison and all medicine, both are determined by the dose."

This aphorism belonged to the alchemist Paracelsus. True, he hardly knew anything about the toxicity of heavy metals and gases - in his time it was popular to treat colds with mercury. So you shouldn't blindly trust him.

There is no evidence that such baths are beneficial. But at the same time, lung cancer, which leads to radon exposure, is the sixthS. Darby, D. Hill, R. Doll. Radon: A likely carcinogen at all exposures / Annals of Oncology on the prevalence of cancer in the world. So it is unlikely that such a therapy will benefit anyone.

Myth 10. And X-rays and fluorography are dangerous

It depends on how often you do them. Dentist X-rays will provide 0.005 millisievert radiation - about the same amount you get from the environment in a day. A conventional chest X-ray is 0.1 mSv. These are such small doses that they are not capable of causing any disease, which has been repeatedly confirmed by studies.Everything you ever wanted to know about radiation and cancer, but were afraid to ask / Cancer Prevention and Treatment Fund.

For comparison, during the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, some of the victims receivedWhat are the Radiation Risks from CT? / FDA 20 mSv each. That is, in order to get hold of a really lethal dose of ionizing radiation, you need to do a chest x-ray 4,000 times at once - one after the other, to be sure. But your doctor is unlikely to allow it.