Final answer:
High levels of laser radiation are hazardous to skin and eyes due to their energy and penetration. Ultraviolet light can cause skin damage and contribute to skin cancer, whereas gamma rays and X-rays can cause cell damage. Long-term exposure to radiation increases cancer and genetic defects risks.
Step-by-step explanation:
High levels of laser radiation are considered to be an acute hazard to the skin and eyes from direct and scattered radiation. Exposure to radiation with frequencies greater than those of visible light carries health hazards due to their high energy and penetrating ability. It is essential to limit exposure as ultraviolet (UV) light, with wavelengths of ≤ 400 nm, can cause severe skin damage such as sunburn and be a contributor to skin cancer. Similarly, the damage to the eyes can be substantial, causing conditions like welder's flash and potentially leading to cataracts.
Gamma rays and X-rays also pose significant health risks, having enough energy to cause cell damage within the body. In medical settings, the intensity of X-rays used is kept extremely low to minimize risk. Laser therapy in medical applications, like burning away cancerous tissue, uses controlled intense beams which, if not properly managed, can be hazardous if exposed to skin or eyes.
The severity of radiation effects varies depending upon the dose received. Immediate effects can occur with high doses, whereas low doses (<100 mSv) might not have observable effects but still carry risks. Long-term exposure increases the risk of cancer and genetic defects. The linear hypothesis assumes the risk at low doses to be proportional to high doses. However, alpha radiation has limited penetration and usually cannot pass through the dead layers of our skin, unlike other forms of more penetrating radiation.