NMR Metabolomics in Ionizing Radiation

Ionizing radiation is an invisible threat that cannot be seen, touched or smelled and exists either as particles or waves. Particle radiation can take the form of alpha, beta or neutrons, as well as high energy space particle radiation such as high energy iron, carbon and proton radiation, etc [1]. Nonparticle radiation includes gammaand x-rays. Publically, there is a growing concern about the adverse health effects due to ionizing radiation mainly because of the following facts. (a) The X-ray diagnostic images are taken routinely on patients. Even though the overall dosage from a single X-ray image such as a chest X-rays scan or a CT scan, also called X-ray computed tomography (X-ray CT), is low, repeated usage can cause serious health consequences, in particular with the possibility of developing cancer [2,3]. (b) Human space exploration has gone beyond moon and is planning to send human to the orbit of Mars by the mid-2030s. And a landing on Mars will follow. ("Obama PromisesRenewedSpace Program". The New York Times. Retrieved April 15, 2010). Completely shield the high energy space radiation in outer space is a big challenging [4,5]. (c) The impact of past nuclear disasters such as Chernobyl disaster (1986/4/26) and Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster (2011/3/12) are long lasting, including leaving behand radiation contaminated sites that are very difficult to clean [6,7]. And (d) Radiological hazards are likely to be employed by terrorists via nuclear detonation, radiological dispersion devices, and covert placement/distribution of radioactive substances [8]. The worst case scenario for a radiation incident would involve a nuclear detonation-either from an improvised nuclear device or an actual warhead.