4.2.24

Types of Contamination

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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.

Jump to other topics

1Energy

2Electricity

3Particle Model of Matter

4Atoms & Radiation

5Forces

5.1Basics of Motion

5.2Forces

5.3Effects of Forces

5.4Pressure

6Waves

7Magnetism

8Astrophysics

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