Radiation Radiation was energy produced by materials and by physical interactions , such as the contact of matter with anti - matter . Biological effects . The radiation resulting from the explosion of a Jagaroth ship in the distant past of Earth triggered the beginning of life from a nearby pool of primordial soup . ( TV : " City of Death " ) Radiation was often harmful or fatal to most life and could cause mutation s . In many life forms , it induced radiation sickness , including Gallifreyans . ( TV : " The Survivors " , " Destiny of the Daleks " ) Nonetheless , Time Lord s could absorb , withstand and expel great doses of certain types of radiation ; the Tenth Doctor said he used to play with roentgen bricks in the nursery . ( TV : " Smith and Jones " ) Although this is not the case for humans , as they can be rendered sterile if a lead apron is not given to them . Others could absorb and regenerate with it , such as the Kastrian s ( TV : " The Hand of Fear " ) and the Dalek s on Skaro , whose evolution led to them becoming dependent on a constant supply of radiation . ( TV : " The Daleks " ) Nevertheless , radiation could still prove harmful to the Daleks . When " Rusty " was damaged , a crack in his power supply began leaking trionic radiation that began killing him and affected his mind , turning him into a " good Dalek . " When the Twelfth Doctor stopped the radiation leak , Rusty immediately returned to normal . ( TV : " Into the Dalek " ) Some organisms could withstand large amounts of radiation , such as the Foamasi . ( TV : " The Leisure Hive " ) An Exxilon fuel pod was left in ancient Earth Inca n civilisation , causing mutations in the populace and leading to Huitzilin gaining great powers . ( PROSE : " The Left - Handed Hummingbird " ) The Solonian s used thaesium radiation to cause the " mutations " that were part of their life cycle . ( TV : " The Mutants " ) The Cybermen showed a weakness to radiation , which Ben Jackson and the team at the base Snowcap used to their advantage when the Cybermen invaded Earth in 1986 . The radiation in the chamber of the Z - Bomb instantly affected them so they could not ensure the bomb was dismantled before their home planet Mondas was destroyed . ( TV : " The Tenth Planet " ) On Wengrol , radiation from the star Mortain caused mutation s in the genetically modified Yend . ( PROSE : " The Sons of the Crab " ) The effects of radiation could be combated by ingesting an anti - radiation pill . ( TV : " Destiny of the Daleks " , PROSE : " Plague of the Cybermen " ) Radiation could be used as a therapy against other kind of illness , such as the infective Lazar ' s disease . ( TV : " Terminus " ) After Eldrad was executed in an obliteration module , the Kastrian ' s hand ended up on Earth where it was discovered one hundred and fifty million years later by Sarah Jane Smith . Under Eldrad ' s influence , she took it to Nunton Experimental Complex where , by absorbing radiation , the Kastrian restored itself . ( TV : " The Hand of Fear " ) Sociological effects . The Thousand Year War between the Thal s and the Kaled s initially saw nuclear weapon s used . The fallout from this caused disfigurement on both sides , with those affected being cast out to preserve racial purity . ( TV : " Genesis of the Daleks " ) The war between the Argolin s and the Foamasi saw the former become sterile . This dictated the field of scientific study the Argolins attempted to save their species . The Tachyon Recreation Generator was a product of their research . ( TV : " The Leisure Hive " ) Radioactive locations . On the planet Janus Prime , radiation made the sand glow blue . It also destroyed a human body ' s lipids , making skin sticky to the touch and changing to a jelly - like texture . Upon death , the body lost cohesion and collapsed into a porridge - like substance . ( PROSE : " The Janus Conjunction " ) On Dulkis , the Dulcian s irradiated an island to see the effects . When the Dominator s landed there , they absorbed the radiation from the island into a storage tank , allowing them free access to the area . ( TV : " The Dominators " ) Skaro ' s atmosphere was polluted because of the fallout consequent the neutronic war , enough to affect the First Doctor and Susan Foreman . ( TV : " The Daleks " ) Romana II and the Fourth Doctor suffered from radiation on Skaro . Romana , to escape the Daleks , faked dying from radiation . ( TV : " Destiny of the Daleks " ) Argolis had a radioactive atmosphere from a nuclear war with the Foamasi . ( TV : " The Leisure Hive " ) The Forbidden Zone was a section of Terminus that only the Garm would regularly enter . It was created by a radiation leak . ( TV : " Terminus " ) Messaline had a relatively high level of radiation ; this was eradicated by terraforming . ( TV : " The Doctor ' s Daughter " ) Oseidon had the highest radiation level in the galaxy of Mutter ' s Spiral . ( TV : " The Android Invasion " ) The petrified jungle of Skaro had a high radiation level from a past nuclear war between the Thal s and the ancestors of the Dalek s . ( TV : " The Daleks " ) The Third Doctor regenerated due to radiation exposure on Metebelis III . ( TV : " Planet of the Spiders " ) The Sixth Doctor noticed a suspicious presence of radiation near the planet Lakertya and avoided it . However , his future self sent a psychic signal to him to go there despite the unknown danger , setting in motion a plan to stop the Valeyard and free himself from the influence of the Nathemus through his own demise . He regenerated due to the radiation exposure , which was actually being released from several beams fired on the TARDIS by the Rani - a kind not lethal to humans , only causing his then - companion Melanie Bush to pass out , but indeed lethal to Time Lords , resulting in his death . ( AUDIO : " The Brink of Death " , TV : " Time and the Rani " ) Owen Harper died after he was exposed to a radiation fallout at a nuclear power plant in Cardiff . He was able to stop the fallout from reaching the rest of Cardiff with help from Toshiko Sato who shortly died after from her own injuries . ( TV : " Exit Wounds " ) The Tenth Doctor regenerated due to radiation exposure caused by taking Wilfred Mott ' s place in a radiation containment chamber . ( TV : " The End of Time ) " Because of an ongoing nuclear war , Atrios was contaminated by radiation . Some areas , such as K - Block , were more affected than others . Its inhabitants moved around with wrist Geiger counter s . ( TV : " The Armageddon Factor " ) The ruins of Klimtenburg ' s church became irradiated after a Cyber Ship crashed into it and the housing of the reactor shattered . The reactor shut down so it was not too severe but the villagers , being from the 19th century , were unaware of the danger and collected pieces of the reactor which they made into jewellery . ( PROSE : " Plague of the Cybermen " )