The effects of radiation Radiation is the emission of electromagnetic energy that is emitted in the form of high-velocity particles that cause ionization. During ionization, radiation hits and pushes electrons away from an atom, creating charged ions. Due to the fact that the electron is stripped away from the atom, the chemical bond breaks. The living tissue inside the human body is damaged and attempts to repair it, but sometimes the damage is irreparable. Radiation can be ionizing or non-ionizing depending on how the radiation itself affects matter. Non-ionizing radiation includes visible light, heat, microwaves, and radio waves. This particular type of radiation deposits energy in the materials it passes through but cannot break molecular bonds or remove electrons from atoms. Ionizing radiation, on the other hand, has enough energy to break molecular bonds and move atoms. The displaced electron creates two charged particles known as ions that can cause changes in living cells. The amount of radiation and duration of radiation exposure is what ultimately causes health problems/effects. There are two types of radiation-related health effects known as stochastic and non-stochastic. Stochastic effects refer to radiation exposure administered over long periods of time at low levels defined as chronic. Non-stochastic exposure is short-term but at high levels, defined as acute. Stochastic effects are those associated with cancer. This particular type of exposure increases the likelihood that an individual will develop a chronic disease such as cancer. Cancer is considered by most people to be the primary health effect of radiation exposure (EPA, 2012). Basically cancer is the uncontrolled growth... middle of paper... me as primary barriers, except they are 1/32 of an inch thick of lead and both are permanently attached to the floor. The EPA sets limits on the amount of exposure people can receive. “Medical physicists generally agree to limit a person's exposure beyond background radiation to approximately 100 mrem per year from all sources (natural or man-made).” For people working as LXMO the annual MPD is 5 rem or 5000 mrem. The annual dose of MPD for LXMOs in pregnancy is 0.5 rem. The amount received by a technician is monitored monthly through the use of dosimeters. EPA References. (2012). Radiation protection. Retrieved May 15, 2014, from http://www.epa.gov/rpdweb00/understand/health_effects.htmlNCR. (2013). Radiation basics. Retrieved May 15, 2014, from http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/radiation/health-effects/radiation-basics.html