When the word "radiation" is used, many immediately imagine nuclear power plants, nuclear weapons and other not the safest things. At the same time, radiation is an integral part of the biosphere, in which humans and other living organisms live. What happens if she suddenly disappears?
Omnipresent radiation
Radiation is usually divided into artificial and natural. The first is the very nuclear power plants and nuclear weapons. Artificial radiation appeared relatively recently - in the last century.
Natural radiation was and is an integral part of life on earth. Its main sources are cosmic radiation, sunlight and, to a greater extent, the earth's crust. The bowels of our planet contain many minerals that emit radiation - alumina, granite and others.
Scientists have long noticed that natural radiation in small doses - from five to 15-20 micro-roentgens per hour - not only is not dangerous, but also strengthens the viability of organisms against the adverse effects of the external environment. This effect is called hormesis.
The disappearance of radiation, experts warn, can cause irreparable damage to human health and disrupt fundamental processes in nature.
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Eternal diseases
The positive effect of everyday ionizing effects is to stimulate DNA activity, to strengthen the antioxidant potential, says Voldemar Tarita, head of the laboratory for human radiation spectrometry of the Ministry of Emergencies of Russia. Thanks to this, immunity increases, the body becomes more resistant to various ailments, including infectious diseases.
In the event of the disappearance of radiation, the activity of leukocytes in the body will sharply decrease, antibodies that fight diseases and accelerate wound healing will cease to be produced. In addition to this, notes Doctor of Biological Sciences Lev Rozhdestvensky, the absence of radiation will lead to a deficiency of vitamins - A, B, as well as microelements.
A sharp decrease in immunity will provoke a surge of dangerous ailments. Among them - polyneuritis, scurvy, rickets, night blindness, all sorts of skin diseases.
Goodbye longevity
American researcher Don Lucky in an article in the International Journal of Low Radiation notes that natural radiation promotes cell renewal, replacing damaged cells with new ones. Thus, the body is rejuvenated, the aging process is inhibited, and the wear of the internal organs decreases.
Scientists predict humanity to achieve record life expectancy in the near future. For example, the famous futurist, professor at the London School of Economics, Oliver Canny, is sure that by the middle of the century, 120-year-old people will become commonplace in developed countries. In turn, a professor at the University of Cambridge Aubrey de Gray claims that those who can live to 150 years have already been born.
The disappearance of radiation will inevitably destroy these ambitious plans. The lack of natural radiation will make it impossible or greatly complicate the process of cell regeneration, will lead to a sharp activation of aging. Mankind will have to say goodbye to dreams of longevity.
Global hunger
The disappearance of radiation that hits the ground, including with sunlight, will cause irreparable damage to agriculture and livestock. Futurists warn that this will exacerbate an already dire food problem.
In the study "Radiation Effects on the Body - Positive Effects", Academician of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences L. Buldakov proves the positive effect of moderate doses of radiation on grain, sugar beets and other crops. The scientist notes that in some cases the yield increases by 180%.
The lack of ionizing effects will cause agriculture to decline. Meanwhile, British futurist John Beddington predicts that the world's population will rise to nine billion by mid-century. All of these people will need 40% more food than humanity currently consumes.
If radiation disappears, the current 925 million hungry people will quickly turn into billions. Degraded agriculture simply cannot feed such a large population.
The end of plants and animals
The flora and fauna of the planet will also be seriously affected. To understand the extent to which radiation affects them, scientists placed animals (from rats to horses) and plants in rooms with reduced levels of natural radiation, for example, in deep mines. Without sunlight, in the absence of water and food with radioactive isotopes, organisms showed a decrease in vital signs - body weight, life expectancy, fertility and reproduction.
Physicist N. Gusev in the monograph "On the maximum permissible levels of ionizing radiation" noted that the lifespan of rodents decreased at both high and low doses of radiation, that is, in both cases, these were unnatural doses of radiation for the body.
Scientists predict that by 2100, due to climate change and human economic activities (deforestation, etc.), more than 40 thousand species of animals and plants may disappear from the face of the Earth. In case, for some reason, there is no more radiation on the planet, the process of extinction of flora and fauna will be accelerated at times.
Ivan Proshkin