Radioactive Contamination & Irradiation
Physics: AQA GCSE Higher, topic 4.2.22
Radioactive Contamination and Irradiation
Contamination is when radioactive substances occur from inside something. Irradiation is when something is exposed to radiation on its outside.
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.
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.
Test yourself on Radioactive Contamination & Irradiation
Types of exposure to radiation