Facts About Ionizing Radiation
- Radiation cannot be discerned by human senses.
- Radiation and radioactive materials are natural phenomena present in soil, water, food, plants and animals.
- Radiation can be useful (e.g., X-rays for broken bones or nuclear medicine scans of the heart).
- Radiation can be harmful. The probability of a harmful consequence (cancer) is related directly to how much and where radiation interacts with the body.
- For this reason, annual LIMITS are placed on the amount of radiation dose for radiation workers.
Where Does Radiation Come From?
- Outer space
- Building materials
- Soil
- Water
- Food
- Human body
Radiation Protection Principles:
Time
- The less time spent in a radiation area, the lower the total dose.
- You personally control the amount of time spent in a radiation field.
Distance
- Double the distance from a radiation source to reduce the exposure rate by one quarter.
- Most of the radiation used in laboratories causes little exposure 3 feet from the bench.
Shielding
- If it increases the time to perform an experiment, shielding is not practical.
- Some materials can cause an increase in radiation exposure.
Contamination
- Radioactive contamination on the skin can be washed off like dirt: check the area with a survey meter after washing.
- Prevention of internal contamination is the primary concern: no eating, drinking, using cosmetics (Chapstick@, skin creams) in the laboratory.
