The public health implications of the use of radioprotectors and radiomitigators in cumulative ionizing radiation exposure

Cumulative exposure to natural and artificial ionizing radiation is a prevalent environmental health risk and is increasing. Ionizing radiation exposure may cause inheritable DNA mutations and increase cancer risks in exposed populations. The increasing use of nuclear imaging in medical procedures creates cumulative risks with each imaging scan. To satisfy energy demands, there may be an increased demand for nuclear power that may have unpredictable disasters such as the Fukushima disaster. Additionally, radon exposure in the United States has been identified as the second leading cause of lung cancers. To help reduce adverse health effects from daily radiation exposures, radioprotector and radiomitigative agents can be applied in a public health setting. Radioprotectors were observed to protect cells when taken prior to irradiation and radiomitigators were observed to reduce the severity of adverse effects and increase survival time when taken after exposure. Studies show that these prophylactics show great potential in public health applications