Uses of radiation

• Radiation is a topic that requires knowledge and understanding.
• Background radiation is all the radiation which comes from our surroundings, such as rocks, atmosphere or remnants of nuclear bombs.
• Both contamination and irradiation are potentially hazardous, but also have useful applications to everyday life.
• Irradiation is the process where something has been exposed to a radioactive material.
• Contamination is when something radioactive has got somewhere it should not be.
• Approximately 13% of background radiation is natural, while the remaining 87% is man made.
• Jobs and location can affect the dose of background radiation.
• Alpha, beta, and gamma radiation are types of radiation.
• Half-life is a term related to radioactive materials.
• Radioactive materials can be used as medical tracers and cancer treatment.
• The hazard of radioactive materials can be minimised through understanding half-life and using appropriate safety measures.
• Background radiation is a topic that requires understanding of its sources, uses, and potential hazards.
• Irradiation means that something has been exposed to a radioactive material.
• Gamma radiation is also used in medical tracers.
• Radiation levels can be measured using a radiation detector.
• Contamination means that something radioactive has got somewhere it should not be.
• Alpha radiation is used in smoke detectors.
• The best way to reduce the amount of Sieverts you are exposed to is by distance and shielding.
• Beta radiation is used in the paper factory to detect cracks in pipes.
• Radiation dose is measured in Sieverts (Sv).
• Both contamination and irradiation are potentially hazardous, but also have useful applications to everyday life.
• Radiation can be used in medical procedures such as radiotherapy and medical tracers.
• Gamma radiation is used in sterilisation and to kill cancer.
• Bacteria are killed even through sealed plastic wrappers.
• Making sure equipment is sterile till used is crucial.
• Beta radiation is partially absorbed, allowing alpha particles to pass through and gamma particles to pass through.
• Smoke detectors contain an alpha emitter, which triggers an alarm when smoke enters the detector.
• Gamma rays can kill living cells.
• Tracers in industry and hospitals are used to find out what is happening inside objects without the need to break into them.
• Alpha particles can’t travel very far in air and pose no risk if more than a few centimetres away from people.
• Radiation is used in industry in detectors that monitor and control the thickness of materials such as paper, plastic and aluminium.
• Gamma or beta radiation is used in tracers depending on the material the tracers need to pass through.
• Alpha can’t be used as it is too easily absorbed.
• Radiation strong enough to kill cancer cells is focused on the tumour, concentrating the radiation on the cancer cells.