4.2.10

Uses & Dangers of Radiation 2

Test yourself

Radioactive Contamination and Irradiation

Contamination is when radioactive substances occur from inside something. Irradiation is when something is exposed to radiation on its outside.

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Contamination

  • Radioactive contamination is when radioactive atoms or molecules get onto other materials.
  • Contamination is harmful because contaminating atoms decay.
  • How harmful the contamination is, depends on the type of radiation the atoms emit.
  • Contaminated atoms are likely to continue to decay. This could harm you if this happens on your skin.
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Irradiation

  • Objects near to radioactive sources are irradiated by them.
  • So irradiation is simply exposure to nuclear radiation.
  • When a radioactive source irradiates an object, the object does not become radioactive.
  • We can reduce irradiation by standing behind lead or storing radioactive material in lead-lined boxes.

Types of Contamination

Contamination is when radioactive substances occur from inside something. Different kinds of radiation have different effects.

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Alpha

  • Alpha is the most dangerous form of radiation inside the body.
  • It cannot penetrate (pass through) the skin so, it stays in the body.
    • This can cause cell mutations.
    • Alpha radiation is also the most ionising of the 3 types of radiation.
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Beta

  • Beta is not very harmful as it can pass out of the body.
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Gamma

  • Gamma is the least harmful radiation.
  • It is the most penetrative (passes through things most easily), and so it will easily pass out of the body.

Peer Review

It’s important for scientists to share their research on radiation and its effects. Scientists can check each other’s work. This is called peer review.

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Research into radiation

  • The more we understand about radiation, the more we can try to reduce its potentially negative effects.

Jump to other topics

1Energy

2Electricity

3Particle Model of Matter

4Atoms & Radiation

5Forces

6Waves

7Magnetism

8Astrophysics

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