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Essay: "Is Radiation Harmful To Humans?"

Our world is filled with radiation that either came from natural sources or was man-made. For this reason, we are surrounded and exposed to it. If you send a text message through your cellular phone, radio waves help us do that. We see the colors of objects because of visible light. But how could we know if the radiation is harmful? Or maybe worse, what if it could kill you?

According to The United States Environmental Protection Agency, an executive agency of The United States federal government, radiation travels in a form of energy waves to its source. There are two kinds of radiation: non-ionizing and ionizing. Non-ionizing radiation does not have enough electrons to move atoms and molecules. These are the kind of energy that is too insufficient to cause ionization. On the other hand, ionizing radiation has a lot of energy that can knock atoms out of electrons, this process is called ionization. Ionizing radiation affects the atoms in living things. It can damage its tissue and genetic material (DNA). Fortunately, the cells in a human body have the natural ability to heal themselves efficiently. However, if the damage is not healed correctly, this can cause cellular dysfunction, cancer, or even death. In short, ionizing radiation raises the red flag.

There could be three ways on how you can protect yourself from it. First, minimize the time you are exposed to it as much as you can to reduce the dose from the radiation source. Second, increase your distance from the source to decrease the dose of radiation. Lastly, use shields such as lead, concrete, and water. For instance, doctors use lead blankets to cover the body parts they do not have to examine during x-rays. Radiation is basically part of our everyday lives. But understanding how it works can reduce the health risks that it can cause.