Radiation Exposure and Genetic Effects: Understanding the Risks

Radiation is all around us, coming from space, earth and our own bodies. Normal levels of this background radiation don't seem to harm people, but high levels have differing biological effects.

Normal Levels

• The average radiation exposure of each person annually is around 300 millirems, including 40 millirems from x-rays and medical procedures.

High-level Exposure

• People exposed to fallout from nuclear bombs or reactor meltdowns typically receive 50,000 millirems or more. These levels can cause cancers like leukemia, multiple myeloma and lung, liver and stomach cancers. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, excessive radiation levels might also cause prostate, laryngeal and pancreatic cancers.

Genetic Damage

• Cells exposed to radiation are either injured or die. During the replication/replacement process, the cells incorrectly repair or replace themselves, resulting in genetic mutation.

Offspring

• The offspring of someone exposed to high levels of radiation can suffer from genetic anomalies due to resulting mutations in the parents' sperm or eggs from radiation exposure.

Somatic Mutation

• When non-reproductive cells mutate, the changes can pass to each new generation of cells produced by the body but are not passed to offspring.