ABSTRACT
Research on the adverse effects of physical hazards such as ionizing radiation, microwaves, heat, and noise has included women in the populations studied. A better evaluation is possible of the effect of extreme conditions on women workers and their reproduction than is the case for most toxic chemical exposures. This chapter reviews the biological responses of women which result from changes in the human circadian rhythm due to shift work and transmeridian flights. An evaluation of radiation exposure and protection in the occupational health setting provides a marked contrast with exposure to other hazards of chemical, biological, or physical origin. The differences strongly suggest that the philosophy of protection of workers from the vast range of industrial hazards is far from being a unitary concept. A short summary of history of the human experience with ionizing radiation is useful because the level of conscious concern has been higher and more sophisticated than for any other occupational hazard.
