Saturday, March 26, 2011

No Safe Radiation Levels

“There is no safe level of exposure and there is no dose of (ionizing) radiation so low that the risk of a malignancy is zero”--Dr. Karl Morgan, the father of Health Physics

Radiation is energy that travels in waves. It includes visible light, ultraviolet light, radio waves and other forms, including particles. Each type of radiation has different properties. Non-ionizing radiation can shake or move molecules. Ionizing radiation can actually break molecular bonds, causing unpredictable chemical reactions. Our Radiation Basics (PDF) fact sheet walks the layperson through what radiation is, where it comes from, types of radiation, half-lives and how it can affect humans.

No comments:

Post a Comment