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Nuclear fallout
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===Personal protective equipment=== As the nuclear energy sector continues to grow, the international rhetoric surrounding nuclear warfare intensifies, and the ever-present threat of radioactive materials falling into the hands of dangerous people persists, many scientists are working hard to find the best way to protect human organs from the harmful effects of high energy radiation. [[Acute radiation syndrome]] (ARS) is the most immediate risk to humans when exposed to [[ionizing radiation]] in dosages greater than around 0.1 [[Gray (unit)|Gy/hr]]. Radiation in the low energy spectrum ([[Alpha Radiation|alpha]] and [[Beta Radiation|beta radiation]]) with minimal penetrating power is unlikely to cause significant damage to internal organs (although if contamination is ingested, inhaled or on the skin, and thus in close proximity to tissues and organs, the effect of these 'massive' particles may be catastrophic). The high penetrating power of [[Gamma Radiation|gamma]] and [[neutron radiation]], however, easily penetrates the skin and many thin shielding mechanisms to cause cellular degeneration in the stem cells found in bone marrow. While full body shielding in a secure fallout shelter as described above is the most optimal form of radiation protection, it requires being locked in a very thick bunker for a significant amount of time. In the event of a nuclear catastrophe of any kind, it is imperative to have [[Radiation protection#External penetrating radiation|mobile protection equipment]] for medical and security personnel to perform necessary containment, evacuation, and any number of other important public safety objectives. The mass of the shielding material required to properly protect the entire body from high energy radiation would make functional movement essentially impossible. This has led scientists to begin researching the idea of partial body protection: a strategy inspired by [[hematopoietic stem cell transplantation]] (HSCT). The idea is to use enough shielding material to sufficiently protect the high concentration of bone marrow in the pelvic region, which contains enough regenerative stem cells to repopulate the body with unaffected bone marrow.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Waterman|first1=Gideon|last2=Kase|first2=Kenneth|last3=Orion|first3=Itzhak|last4=Broisman|first4=Andrey|last5=Milstein|first5=Oren|date=29 March 2017|title=Selective Shielding of Bone Marrow: An Approach to Protecting Humans from External Gamma Radiation|journal=The Radiation Safety Journal: Health Physics|volume=113|issue=3|pages=195β208|doi=10.1097/HP.0000000000000688|pmid=28749810|s2cid=3300412}}</ref> More information on bone marrow shielding can be found in the [https://journals.lww.com/health-physics/pages/default.aspx Health Physics Radiation Safety Journal] article [https://journals.lww.com/health-physics/Abstract/2017/09000/Selective_Shielding_of_Bone_Marrow___An_Approach.4.aspx Selective Shielding of Bone Marrow: An Approach to Protecting Humans from External Gamma Radiation], or in the [[OECD|Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)]] and the [[Nuclear Energy Agency|Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA)]]'s 2015 report: [https://www.oecd-nea.org/rp/docs/2014/crpph-r2014-5.pdf Occupational Radiation Protection in Severe Accident Management.]
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