Radiation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Radiation - Essay Example Finally, I could be exposed to radiation from radio nuclides ingested into the body through food, say from crops that might have taken up radioactive isotopes from the ground or soil as noted by the US Environmental Protection Agency, EPA (2012). Therefore, both natural and artificial objects could expose me to radiation. Exposure to radiation poses adverse health effects, particularly when the duration of exposure is elongated and the intensity of radiation is high. Radiation could cause cancer as tissues get exposed to radioactive elements. Secondly, when foetuses are exposed to radiation, birth defects could occur which include smaller brain size or head, mental retardation or poorly formed eyes. Finally, radiation, particularly ultraviolet radiation from the sun, causes cataracts which are the leading cause of blindness (Nadakavukaren, 2011). The sievert, Sv, is the unit of radiation weighted dose which measures the harmful potential of radiation based on the type of radiation and also the sensitivity of the body organs and tissues involved. 3. Imagine that the LADWP decided to build a power plant on the vacant land at the northwest corner of Lassen and Zelzah.   For the purposes of this exercise, they are considering one of the following three options: a coal power plant that employs 100 people, a solar plant that employs less than ten full time employees, or a nuclear power plant that produces three times the amount of energy as the other two choices. Provide 9 full sentences describing the pros and cons of the proposed options.   Focus on the environmental health issues and include at least 2 statistics in the response. The argument should be balanced and incorporate factual material from at least 3 journal articles from the database link noted above. Should LADWP opt to build a coal power plant, they could benefit from its widespread availability which further protects the environment from the pollution that could result from its transportation had it