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Ionizing radiation (IR) acts on water, a component of living organisms, ionizing and exciting the water molecules. Short-lived radical-cations (H2O+) are very unstable and decompose to produce hydroxyl radicals (•OH) and hydronium (H3O+). Electronically excited water molecules (H2O*) cleave to produce •OH and hydrogen radicals (H•). Molecular hydrogen (H2) can selectively eliminate the •OH by the following chemical reaction: •OH + H2 → H• + H2O.
