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History of “Nuclear” Health Issues

History of “Nuclear” Health Issues. Supercourse Group in Pittsburgh. Who is a health physicist and why do we need them?.

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History of “Nuclear” Health Issues

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  1. History of “Nuclear” Health Issues Supercourse Group in Pittsburgh

  2. Who is a health physicist and why do we need them? According to health physics society, ionizing radiation has been beneficial to humans, from treating cancer to generating electrical power. But when used in large quantity or in an unsafe way, ionizing radiation can harm living organisms. Among the scientists essential to the nuclear industry is the HEALTH PHYSICIST, who is responsible for the protection of persons and their environment from the damaging effects of ionizing radiation.

  3. Status of Nuclear Energy Globally

  4. Early Radiation History • Within months after Wilhelm Roentgen discovered x rays in 1895, three men experimenting with the x-ray tube noticed skin irritations. • Within a year, these newly discovered rays were used for both diagnosis and limited therapy. • The first noted injuries from radiation exposure came before the beginning of the 20th century. Wilhelm Roentgen

  5. History Continued-key milestones • 1902 -Ernest Rutherford conducted experiments to prove the presence of electrons and protons; • In 1911- Frederick Soddy discovered the phenomenon of isotopes in radioactive elements; • 1932- James Chadwick discovered the neutron; • 1940’s Promotion of Rutherford's theories by Niels Bohr. • 1939 Nuclear energy in the atomic nucleus was finally discovered and put to use by Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassman; • July 1941, two important reports were published, the first one emphasized uranium as a material for a bomb, while the second one emphasized uranium as a source of heat energy through a boiler. • On the insistence of Prime Minister Winston Churchill, President Roosevelt accelerated the program for development of the bomb. • The first nuclear weapon was tested in New Mexico on 16th July 1945. It used plutonium as its explosive fuel. The second bomb tested used U-235, a variant of uranium. • August 6th and 9th, 1945-The horrifying effects of the bombs were seen when the bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan.

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