There are a number of ways in which someone can be exposed to radiation, and a number of ways to deal with radiation exposure, depending on the circumstances of the exposure. When someone is exposed to radiation, he or she is in an area where radiation is present, which could cause a risk of contamination. In contamination, someone actually comes into contact with radioactive material. External contamination involves the presence of radioactive material on clothing, personal possessions, and the outside of the body, while internal contamination requires the ingestion of radioactive material. The most important thing to remember when one is exposed to radiation in an emergency situation is that he/she/they should remain calm, because panic will not help the situation, and they should seek medical attention as quickly as possible. It is important to differentiate between exposure and contamination.

The most common way for someone to be exposed to radiation is through his or her occupation. Occupational exposure is much less dangerous than other forms, because people are aware of the risks and they can take steps to reduce the problems associated with radiation exposure. If you are exposed to radiation as part of your work, you should wear appropriate shielding material, along with a badge which monitors radiation exposure, and you should report any known safety violations immediately to ensure that your workplace remains safe.

People can also be exposed to radiation in a medical context, as radioactive materials are used in some treatment and diagnosis. In the event of a medical exposure, the medical team which cares for you will discuss the protocol you should follow, along with any risks. It is important to follow directions and warnings carefully when radiation is used in medical treatment, especially if the treatment is extended, as is the case with some cancers. When people think about being exposed to radiation, however, they usually are not thinking of controlled environments like a hospital or the workplace; they are imagining a situation in which radiation is released into the general environment, either accidentally or on purpose. In these emergency situations, there are a number of ways to deal with radiation exposure.

If you are in the presence of a nuclear explosion or accident, the best thing to do is to get as far away from the area as quickly as possible. You want to reduce the amount of radiation you are exposed to, and this is the most effective way to do it. Because there is a possibility of external contamination, it is a good idea to dispose of any clothing worn at the time of the event, and to wash your body and hair thoroughly with lukewarm water and soap. Clothing should be carefully bagged for future disposal by emergency personnel. You should also receive a medical evaluation. If internal contamination is suspected, there are some drugs which can be taken to mitigate the effects of exposure to radiation, and to reduce the potential for damage. These drugs can be administered by a doctor or emergency response official, who may test you for internal contamination and question you about your proximity to the event first. You may also be asked to undergo long-term monitoring for lingering health problems.

The effects of radiation on living cells vary, depending on the type of radiation, the intensity of the exposure, and the cell. For our purposes, “radiation” refers to an emission of ionizing energy, such as neutrons, photons, and high energy charged particles like gamma rays. There are a number of different types of radiation, including cosmic radiation from space, terrestrial radiation which is emitted by radioactive elements in the ground, and man-make radiation such as that released by the detonation of an atomic bomb.

At low levels, radiation damage can be repaired by living cells with no ill effects. Higher doses can cause a cell to become sterile, or they can interfere with a cell's ability to reproduce it properly, causing mutations. Many cancers, for example, are linked with radiation exposure which confuses cells, causing them to mutate and rapidly reproduce. At extremely high doses, radiation causes cell death, through a process called thermalization, which basically cooks a cell from the inside out.

Radiation exposure can cause cell damage in two different ways. In the first sense, direct radiation action, radiation harms a molecule directly; as for example when radiation interferes with a molecule of DNA, causing cell damage. Radiation can also cause indirect damage, by ionizing molecules, turning them into potentially toxic compounds which interact with healthy molecules and cause damage.  At very high doses, radiation will cause massive organ and tissue damage which is too extensive for the body to repair. This causes acute radiation syndrome, also known as radiation sickness. Radiation sickness is often extremely painful and unpleasant, and it leads to death. At lower doses, radiation may cause damage on a more subtle level, and the damage may manifest as cancer or through birth defects caused by damage to reproductive tissues later in life. Some cells are especially vulnerable to radiation damage, especially cells which multiply rapidly; this is why pregnant women need to be careful around sources of radiation, as it can damage the developing fetus.

One of the more dangerous causes of radiation is radioactive isotopes, because these isotopes will accumulate in the body and emit radiation, in contrast with one-time exposure to radioactive particles like those emitted in an x-ray. For this reason, people who work around radioactive isotopes must be very careful, and those used in procedures like medical imaging have very short half lives, meaning that they quickly decay and are expressed by the body.

So far, there have been many studies on possible connections between cell phones and cancer. For example, in one study involved over a large number of participants who all used cell phones for many years, researchers were unable to find evidence that cell phones cause cancer. Nevertheless, sometimes, research studies do seem to provide evidence that cell phones contribute to cancer, but the evidence is conflicting. For example, one study did produce some evidence of a connection between cell phones and cancer involving the salivary glands but only a small number of the study's participants actually developed it. One of the major problems with this study is that many of the participants used tobacco products which are well identified carcinogens.  Hence it is difficult to determine whether or not the cancer developed as a result of cell phone use or as a result of the tobacco.

Since most studies involving cell phones and cancer have been inconclusive and it is not certain whether or not cell phones can cause cancer, sensible and informed people choose to take precautions for obvious reasons and intentions. Accordingly they use their cell phones only when absolutely necessary and that too for very short calls durations. Nevertheless, there is no dearth of such people who use headsets for their cell phones in spite of knowing the fact that the radiation exposure when a person has a cell phone antenna close to his or her head may be an important factor in brain tumors. However, many people choose to limit the amount of time their children spend on cell phones keeping in view the information that developing tissues are more vulnerable to radiation.

 Whereas the link between cell phones and cancer hasn't been proven yet, some scientists are of the opinion that it is just a matter of time as happened with establishing connections between cigarette smoking and lung cancer that took years to discover the link between the two. As such, they worry that it will take a similar amount of years for people to discover the link between cell phones and cancer but it would have been too late for them who would have become The Late by that time. Unfortunately those who believe that cell phones cause cancer and are concerned with the well-being of the masses, often find it difficult to emphasize their points due to imperfect studies as inconclusive findings. However, the users of cell phones in general and those of the individuals who have intoxicated themselves to the abuse of this indispensable blessing should retrospect and try to make good use of the wisdom, they have been blessed with.  

There has been a controversy for some time on the health risks that cell phones pose to humans through their use. While many have claimed most studies to be inconclusive a new recent study has been conducted that claims to have proven and shown an increase in cancer risks through the use of cell phones.

In Stockholm, Sweden a recent study conducted by the Karolinska Institute found that there was an increased risk of brain cancer in certain parts of the brain through the regular use of cell phones. The study consisted of 634 subjects over a two year period. Of the subjects 209 already had brain tumors and 425 were completely healthy. This most recent study took place over a 2 year period and showed that increased microwaves from the cell phones did indeed pose a health risk to the brain. Due to the small amount of subjects however a larger study is being done with 3,000 subjects with results due out late in 2009.

While it is not good to fall into a hysteria over every study, enough studies have been done on microwaves to prove that microwaves themselves can indeed pose serious health risks. Cell phones emit microwaves, it's simple as that.

The FDA claims that cell phones pose no real serious threat to the public however the FDA allows drugs each year to be administered to the public that later get recalled for their dangerous side effects. Common sense will show you that the FDA is not always right when it comes to our safety, so using the FDA as a reliable source for safety information is not my first choice. I prefer to listen to the scientists rather than a government agency that in my opinion is flawed.

Without going into a panic and trashing your cell phone there are some steps to help reduce your microwave exposure from your cellular device. Following these steps may not entirely eliminate the risks but can significantly reduce them.

Step One - Trash Your Analog Phone

Okay, so I said don't go trashing your cell phone in a panic. All I can say is oops. If you are using an analog cell phone you are increasing your microwave exposure by up to three times the normal compared to digital cell phone usage. If you have a concern for your health you will want to switch to a digital phone which has been shown to have a significant decrease in microwave exposure compared to analog.

Step Two - Use an Ear Piece or Bluetooth

This step has an obvious benefit. By using an ear piece you are directing the microwave exposure away from your head where the vulnerable area of the brains have been shown to have the risk factors. Ear pieces are fairly inexpensive ($20.00) and are considered more acceptable for driving use as well. Many laws have been passed requiring the use of earpieces during driving due to safety concerns so you actually are getting two birds with one stone here. Your cell phone may have even came with an ear piece already so now is the time to dust that baby off and take it for a run. Bluetooth can be pricier but the quality of communication is enhanced for talking in respects to earpieces.

Step Three - Check Specific Absorption Rate (SAR)

SAR is the amount of radio waves absorbed by your body through cell phone use. The FCC has a regulation standard of 1.6 watts or lower per kilogram of flesh weight. Cnet did some recent research on actual SAR levels with cell phones and these were the overall winners for the lowest SAR levels:

CELL PHONE LIMIT SAR 1.6

LG KG800 SAR 0.135

Motorola Razr V3x SAR 0.14

Nokia 9300 SAR 0.21

Nokia N90 SAR 0.22

Samsung SGH-G800 SAR 0.23

Samsung Sync SGH-A707 SAR 0.236

Nokia 7390 SAR 0.26

Samsung SGH-T809 SAR 0.32

Samsung SGH-E910 SAR 0.33

Motorola Razr2 V8 SAR 0.36

Step Four - Don't Give Kids Cell Phones

With so many studies and controversy over the cell phone slash brain cancer issue it is best to not have a young developing child own a cell phone. This is somewhat problematic because a cell phone can actually increase safety in respect to emergencies and parent to child contact. I say if you must give a child a cell phone make sure they use earpieces, have a cell phone lowest on the SAR level, and limit their use to emergencies.

Step Four - Reduce Usage

We have become reliant on our cell phones and perhaps it's time we start using them less. This of course is a personal decision and relies on how important this issue is to you. Some call the issue a media scare while others claim it's an urgent health issue. As a free American it is up to you to decide from the facts if a cell phone is causing you harm. I always say better safe than sorry and you have to admit, how urgent are most of your cell phone calls?

The head of a prominent cancer research institute issued an unprecedented warning to his faculty and staff Wednesday: Limit cell phone use because of the possible risk of cancer.

The warning from Dr. Ronald B. Herberman, director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, is contrary to numerous studies that don't find a link between cancer and cell phone use, and a public lack of worry by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Herberman is basing his alarm on early unpublished data. He says it takes too long to get answers from science and he believes people should take action now especially when it comes to children.

"Really at the heart of my concern is that we shouldn't wait for a definitive study to come out, but err on the side of being safe rather than sorry later," Herberman said.

No other major academic cancer research institutions have sounded such an alarm about cell phone use. But Herberman's advice is sure to raise concern among many cell phone users and especially parents.

In the memo he sent to about 3,000 faculty and staff Wednesday, he says children should use cell phones only for emergencies because their brains are still developing.

Adults should keep the phone away from the head and use the speakerphone or a wireless headset, he says. He even warns against using cell phones in public places like a bus because it exposes others to the phone's electromagnetic fields.

The issue that concerns some scientists though nowhere near a consensus is electromagnetic radiation, especially its possible effects on children. It is not a major topic in conferences of brain specialists.

A 2008 University of Utah analysis looked at nine studies including some Herberman cites with thousands of brain tumor patients and concludes "we found no overall increased risk of brain tumors among cellular phone users. The potential elevated risk of brain tumors after long-term cellular phone use awaits confirmation by future studies."

Studies last year in France and Norway concluded the same thing.

"If there is a risk from these products and at this point we do not know that there is it is probably very small," the Food and Drug Administration says on an agency Web site.

Still, Herberman cites a "growing body of literature linking long-term cell phone use to possible adverse health effects including cancer."

"Although the evidence is still controversial, I am convinced that there are sufficient data to warrant issuing an advisory to share some precautionary advice on cell phone use," he wrote in his memo.

A driving force behind the memo was Devra Lee Davis, the director of the university's center for environmental oncology.

"The question is do you want to play Russian roulette with your brain," she said in an interview from her cell phone while using the hands-free speaker phone as recommended. "I don't know that cell phones are dangerous. But I don't know that they are safe."

Of concern are the still unknown effects of more than a decade of cell phone use, with some studies raising alarms, said Davis, a former health adviser in the Clinton Administration.

She said 20 different groups have endorsed the advice the Pittsburgh cancer institute gave, and authorities in England, France and India have cautioned children's use of cell phones.

Herberman and Davis point to a massive ongoing research project known as Interphone, involving scientists in 13 nations, mostly in Europe. Results already published in peer-reviewed journals from this project aren't so alarming, but Herberman is citing work not yet published.

The published research focuses on more than 5,000 cases of brain tumors. The National Research Council in the U.S., which isn't participating in the Interphone project, reported in January that the brain tumor research had "selection bias." That means it relied on people with cancer to remember how often they used cell phones. It is not considered the most accurate research approach.

The largest published study, which appeared in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute in 2006, tracked 420,000 Danish cell phone users, including thousands that had used the phones for more than 10 years. It found no increased risk of cancer among those using cell phones.

A French study based on Interphone research and published in 2007 concluded that regular cell phone users had "no significant increased risk" for three major types of nervous system tumors. It did note, however, that there was "the possibility of an increased risk among the heaviest users" for one type of brain tumor, but that needs to be verified in future research.

Earlier research also has found no connection.

Joshua E. Muscat of Penn State University, who has studied cancer and cell phones in other research projects partly funded by the cell phone industry, said there are at least a dozen studies that have found no cancer-cell phone link. He said a Swedish study cited by Herberman as support for his warning was biased and flawed.

"We certainly don't know of any mechanism by which radiofrequency exposure would cause a cancerous effect in cells. We just don't know this might possibly occur," Muscat said.

Cell phones emit radiofrequency energy, a type of radiation that is a form of electromagnetic radiation, according to the National Cancer Institute. Though studies are being done to see if there is a link between it and tumors of the brain and central nervous system, there is no definitive link between the two, the institute says on its Web site.

"By all means, if a person feels compelled that they should take precautions in reducing the amount of electromagnetic radio waves through their bodies, by all means they should do so," said Dan Catena, a spokesman for the American Cancer Society. "But at the same time, we have to remember there's no conclusive evidence that links cell phones to cancer, whether it's brain tumors or other forms of cancer."

Joe Farren, a spokesman for the CTIA-The Wireless Association, a trade group for the wireless industry, said the group believes there is a risk of misinforming the public if science isn't used as the ultimate guide on the issue.

"When you look at the overwhelming majority of studies that have been peer reviewed and published in scientific journals around the world, you'll find no relationship between wireless usage and adverse health affects," Farren said.

Frank Barnes, who chaired the January report from the National Research Council, said Wednesday that "the jury is out" on how hazardous long-term cell phone use might be.

Speaking from his cell phone, the professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Colorado at Boulder said he takes no special precautions in his own phone use. And he offered no specific advice to people worried about the matter.

It's up to each individual to decide what if anything to do. If people use a cell phone instead of having a land line, "that may very well be reasonable for them," he said.

Susan Juffe, a 58-year-old Pittsburgh special education teacher, heard about Herberman's cell phone advice on the radio earlier in the day.

"Now, I'm worried. It's scary," she said.

She says she'll think twice about allowing her 10-year-old daughter Jayne to use the cell phone.

"I don't want to get it (brain cancer) and I certainly don't want you to get it," she explained to her daughter.

Sara Loughran, a 24-year-old doctoral student at the University of Pittsburgh, sat in a bus stop Wednesday chatting on her cell phone with her mother. She also had heard the news earlier in the day, but was not as concerned.

"I think if they gave me specific numbers and specific information and it was scary enough, I would be concerned," Loughran said, planning to call her mother again in a matter of minutes. "Without specific numbers, it's too vague to get me worked up."