EESA10H3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Background Radiation, Radon, Non-Ionizing Radiation
Document Summary
It is used for medical and artificial sources: also for nuclear power (electricity, energy production), weapons tests, e. g. x-ray machines, x-ray diagnostic, television sets, microwave ovens, radar devices, lasers, can be controlled, because it is not natural. Types of radiation: ionized radiation, high energy, short wavelength, e. g. cosmic rays, gamma rays, x-rays, ultraviolet waves, non-ionized radiation, low energy, low wavelength, e. g. infrared waves, microwaves, tv waves, radio waves. Radioactive material that decays spontaneously produces ionizing radiation: strips away electrons from atoms to create two charged ions, breaks some chemical bonds e. g. alpha, beta particles, gamma, and x-rays, these differ in the amount of energy they have. Carcinogenesis: stochastic health effects, chronic effects, associated with long term, low levels of exposure. Cancer: disease in which cells multiple without restraint. The cancer tumor invades the tissue of an organ: the tumor can metastasis into other tissues.
