Irradiation is the process by which an object is exposed to radiation.
The exposure can originate from various sources, including natural sources.
Most frequently the term refers to ionizing radiation, and to a level of radiation that
will serve a specific purpose, rather than radiation exposure to normal levels of background
radiation.
The term irradiation usually excludes the exposure to non-ionizing radiation, such as
infra-red, visible light, microwaves from cellular phones or electromagnetic waves emitted
by radio and TV receivers and power supplies.
Applications Sterilization
If administered at appropriate levels, all forms of ionizing radiation can be used to
sterilize objects after use, produce medical instruments and disposables such as syringes,
and disinfect and sterilize food.
Small doses of ionizing radiation may be used to kill bacteria in food or other organic
material, including blood.
Food irradiation, while effective, is seldom used due to problems with public acceptance.
Medicine Irradiation is used in diagnostic imaging,
cancer therapy and blood transfusion.
In 2011 researchers found that irradiation was successful in the novel theranostic technique
involving co-treatment with heptamethine dyes to elucidate tumor cells and attenuate their
growth with minimal side effects.
Ion implantation
Ion irradiation is routinely used to implant impurities atoms into materials, especially
semiconductors, to modify their properties.
This process, usually known as ion implantation, is an important step in the manufacture of
silicon integrated circuits.
Ion irradiation Ion irradiation means in general using particle
accelerators to shoot energetic ions on a material.
Ion implantation is a variety of ion irradiation, as is swift heavy ions irradiation from particle
accelerators induces ion tracks that can be used for nanotechnology.
Industrial chemistry Irradiation can be used to cross-link plastics
or to the improve material qualities of semi-precious stones.
Due to its efficiency, electron beam processing is often used in the irradiation treatment
of polymer-based products to improve their mechanical, thermal, and chemical properties,
and often to add unique properties.
Cross-linked polyethylene pipe, high-temperature products such as tubing and gaskets, wire
and cable jacket curing, curing of composite materials, and crosslinking of tires are a
few examples.
Security During the 2001 anthrax attacks, the US Postal
Service irradiated mail to protect members of the US government and other possible targets.
This was of some concern to people who send digital media through the mail, including
artists.
According to the ART in Embassies program, "incoming mail is irradiated, and the process
destroys slides, transparencies and disks."
Agriculture After its discovery by Lewis Stadler at the
University of Missouri, irradiation of seed and plant germplasm has resulted in creating
many of the most widely grown strains of food crops worldwide.
The process, which consists of striking plant seeds or germplasm with radiation in the form
of X-rays, UV waves, heavy-ion beams, or gamma rays, essentially "mixes" the genes already
existing in the genome.
The UN has been an active participant through the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Irradiation is also employed to prevent the sprouting of certain cereals, onions, potatoes
and garlic.
Appropriate irradiation doses are also used to produce insects for use in the sterile
insect technique of pest control.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service recognizes irradiation
as an important technology to protect consumers.
Fresh meat and poultry including whole or cut up birds, skinless poultry, pork chops,
roasts, stew meat, liver, hamburgers, ground meat, and ground poultry are approved for
irradiation.
Assassination Some claim that Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej, who
died of lung cancer in Bucharest on March 19, 1965, was intentionally irradiated during
a visit to Moscow, due to his political stance.
In 1999, an article in Der Spiegel alleged that the East German MfS intentionally irradiated
political prisoners with high-dose radiation, possibly to provoke cancer.
Alexander Litvinenko, a secret serviceman who was tackling organized crime in Russia,
was intentionally poisoned with Po-210; the very large internal doses of radiation he
received were the cause of his death.
References ^ "Food Standards Agency - Irradiated food".
Retrieved 2008-01-26.
^ "Spinach and Peanuts, With a Dash of Radiation" article by Andrew Marin in The New York Times
February 1, 2009 ^ "Information for patients needing irradiated
blood" by National Blood Service ^ Tan X, Luo S, Wang D, et al.
A NIR heptamethine Dye with intrinsic cancer targeting, imaging and photosynthesizing properties.
Journal of Biomaterials China.
33-7, pp. 2230-2239.
^ F. Pene, E. Courtine, A. Cariou, J.P. Mira.
Toward theranostics.
Crit Care Med, 37, pp. S50–S58 ^ Bly, J.H.
"Electron Beam Processing", Yardley, PA: International Information Associates, 1988.
^ International Database on Insect Disinfestation and Sterilization, Joint FAO/IAEA Division
of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture website, Food and Agriculture Organization
of the United Nations, plus the International Atomic Energy Agency.
^ Irradiation and Food Safety, U.S. Drug and Food Administration.
Retrieved Jan. 5, 2010.
^ "TFP > Alexander Litvinenko Assassination".
Retrieved 2009-10-18.
^ STASI: In Kopfhöhe ausgerichtet.
Article by Peter Wensierski in Der Spiegel 20/1999, May 17, 1999
^ Tödliche Strahlung.
Die Staatssicherheit der DDR steht im Verdacht, Regimegegner radioaktiv verseucht zu haben.
Article by Paul Leonhard in Junge Freiheit April 14, 2000
External links Industrial, Medical & Educational Uses of
Radiation Safety and Health Topics: Radiation
Radiation Protection- US EPA International Atomic Energy Agency
North American Seed Bank See also
Dose area product Food irradiation
Radiolyse