What happens if you eat something radioactive?

When you ingest radioactive material, as the material decays, some of the radiation will hit the cells in your body and perhaps do damage and increase the chances of cancer — if there’s a sufficient amount of materials. We’ve been eating radioactive materials all our throughout human history.

Is radioactive material toxic?

Exposure to large amounts of radioactivity can cause nausea, vomiting, hair loss, diarrhea, hemorrhage, destruction of the intestinal lining, central nervous system damage, and death. It also causes DNA damage and raises the risk of cancer, particularly in young children and fetuses.

Will ingesting radioactive material make you radioactive?

However, the ingestion of radioactive material does have the potential of making a person radioactive, at least on a temporary basis. This is the principle behind the medical use of many radioactive materials, as it aids in imaging, diagnosis, and other areas.

What happens if you touch something with radiation on it?

Being exposed to a lot of radiation over a short period of time, such as from a radiation emergency, can cause skin burns. It may also lead to acute radiation syndrome (ARS, or “radiation sickness”). The symptoms of ARS include headache and diarrhea. They usually start within hours.

What is the most radioactive food we eat?

Brazil nuts are the most radioactive everyday food. However, large quantities of Brazil nuts, lima beans, and bananas all can set off radiation detectors when they pass through shipping. The radiation dose from eating one banana is calculated at 10−7 Sievert or 0.1 microSieverts.

What effects does radiation have on the human body?

Exposure to very high levels of radiation, such as being close to an atomic blast, can cause acute health effects such as skin burns and acute radiation syndrome (“radiation sickness”). It can also result in long-term health effects such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Does banana have radiation?

Bananas have naturally high-levels of potassium and a small fraction of all potassium is radioactive. Each banana can emit . 01 millirem (0.1 microsieverts) of radiation. This is a very small amount of radiation.