Medical Uses for Radiation
Medical Uses. There are many uses of radiation in medicine. The most well known is using x rays to see whether bones are broken. The broad area of x-ray use is called radiology. Within radiology, we find more specialized areas like mammography, computerized tomography (CT), and nuclear medicine (the specialty where radioactive material is ...
Sources & Uses of Radiation
Radiation & Me. Many uses of radiation help to ensure the high quality and safety of our daily lives. Smoke detectors to warn us of fire, x-ray machines to detect weapons or other devices in luggage and cargo, and certain types of imaging to look for diseases are all application of radiation for the benefit of society.
Industrial Uses for Radiation
Industrial Uses. There are many industrial uses of radioactive materials, including material density evaluation, product sterilization, quality control, static elimination, and electricity generation. The radiation sources used for these processes include radiation-producing machines and sealed-source radioactive materials, to name two. In this ...
Naturally Occurring Radiation
There are three groupings of naturally occurring radiation, mostly based on where the radiation comes from. First there is the radiation in the soils and rocks, called primordial or terrestrial. Then there is radiation that comes from space, called cosmic or cosmogenic. The third is human-made, something created by humans that wouldn’t exist ...
Household Sources of Radiation
Old glassware, tile, and ceramics that contain radioactivity generally have enhanced naturally occurring radionuclides (such as uranium, thorium, or potassium) incorporated right into the glass or into the glaze. An older-style gas lantern mantle with thorium in its silk threads is often used by radiation safety offices as a source to check the ...
Radiation Oncology
A linear accelerator (also called a LINAC) is a very large device that emits high-energy x rays and electron beams. It is the most common device used in radiation oncology for cancer treatment. The linear accelerator x-ray or electron beam can be highly collimated so the energy is delivered to the tumor while sparing normal tissues.
Common Radiation Doses
Common Radiation Doses. Okay, we’re ready now to see some regularly encountered radiation doses. The numbers given below are the radiation dose we expect most people would receive from that source. Effective Dose. Radiation Source. Less than (<) or equal to (=) 0.1 mSv. annual dose living at nuclear power plant perimeter.
Types of Radiation
X rays, gamma rays, alpha particles, and beta particles are ionizing radiation. Ionizing radiation has a lot of energy that gives it the ability to cause changes in atoms—a process called ionization. Radio and TV signals, microwaves, and laser light are nonionizing types of radiation. Nonionizing radiation has less energy than ionizing ...
Non-ionizing Radiation Effects and Information
Some forms of nonionizing radiation can damage tissues if we are exposed too much. For instance, too much ultraviolet (UV) light from lying out in the sun is known to cause some skin cancers; even moderate amounts can cause skin burns. In addition to the sun, UV waves (sometimes called UV radiation) are emitted by lights used in tanning beds ...
Radiation Uses in Well Logging
Radiation is used in well logging to assist in determining whether a drilled well has certain rocks or minerals, oil, gas, or other substances of consumer value. Well logging generally uses sealed sources containing radioactive materials that emit gamma rays or neutrons. The depth of penetration of these radiations is an indication of the type ...