Extreme health effects like cancer might occur when a person is exposed to high or moderate levels of radiation. Exposure to a large amount of radiation at UBC would be unusual and unlikely. Even exposure to moderate levels occurs only under the rarest of circumstances.

Please contact us if you have any concerns about your personal radiation safety at UBC.

Cancers & Cellular Changes

When ionizing radiation penetrates living tissues the chemical structure of living cells can change. If enough radiation is absorbed, cells may be altered or destroyed. Living tissue has a great ability to repair itself, but in some cases these cellular changes can develop into cancer. They could also cause genetic damage or birth defects. Again, the risk of exposure to the necessary levels of radiation at UBC for these health effects is extremely low.

Pregnancy & Radiation

UBC’s policy with respect to working with nuclear materials during pregnancy follows guidelines established by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.

The Radiation Safety Office works to inform UBC employees of the risks associated with working with radioactive materials during pregnancy.

All female employees/faculty/students are informed of this policy prior to their authorization to use nuclear materials at UBC.