In low levels, these effects are either very, very small compared to natural incidences or nonexistent depending on the biological model used for estimating the potential risk. Its usefulness must be balanced with its hazards, a compromise that has shifted over time. The gamma ray is identical in nature to light or microwaves, but of very high energy. Radiation is energy in the form of waves or streams of particles. Karl morgan, the father of health physics what is radiation. One can also imagine that the principle of justification could be applied not only to the introduction of a new source of radiation. While an individual cell is made of trillions of atoms, only a small fraction of those will be ionized at low to moderate radiation powers. It may also come from medical imaging equipment, such as xray, ct scan, or pet scan machines. General effects of ionizing radiation on foods and wholesomeness of irradiated foods.
Ionizing radiation has the ability to knock an electron from an atom, i. Thus ionizing radiation is somewhat artificially separated from particle radiation and electromagnetic radiation, simply due to its great potential for biological damage. Ionizing radiation exposure from radiologic imaging background the increased use of diagnostic imaging requiring the use of ionizing radiation, the rapidly expanding use of computed tomography in the emergency setting, the introduction of multidetector ct units and newly reported concerns related to the human consequences of lowlevel. Alpha particles, beta particles, xrays and gamma rays are forms of ionizing radiation. Ionizing radiation was first used to treat breast cancer in 1896, a year after the discovery of xrays.
For this reason, radioactive sources or sources that spontaneously emit energy in the form of ionizing radiation as a result of the decay of an. Chargedparticle radiation, such as alpha or beta rays. Detecting and measuring ionizing radiation a short history by f. The 17 chapters in section i represent a general introduction to radiation biology and a complete, selfcontained course especially for. Introduction to radiation chemistry mike robbins, phdmike robbins, phd radiation biology sectionradiation biology section department of radiation oncologydepartment of radiation oncology wake forest university school of medicinewake forest university school of medicine. An introduction to non ionising radiation nir safety management. Ionizing radiation has many industrial, military, and medical uses. While there are other, less energetic, types of non ionizing radiation including radio waves, microwavesand visible light, this booklet is about ionizing radiation.
This book deals with ionizing radiation, a term, which for simplicity, is often shortened to just radiation. A gentle introduction to nuclear mass and binding energy. Flakus ionizing radiation causes neutral atoms or molecules to acquire either a positive or negative electrical charge. Directly ionizing radiation deposits energy in the medium through direct. The human eye can only detect only a small portion of this spectrum called visible light. The major types of radiation emitted during radioactive decay are alpha particles.
Over the years, numerous recommendations regarding occupational exposure limits have been developed by the international commission on radiological protection icrp and other radiation protection groups. Space radiation is distinct from common terrestrial forms of radiation. The first way to achieve this goal is to deposit as much energy of ionizing radiation as possible in tumor region while avoiding irradiating normal tissue. This note provides an introduction to the basic properties of ionizing radiations and their uses in medicine, industry, science, and environmental studies. Introduction ionizing radiation types and sources of. Radiological physics is the science of ionizing radiation and its interaction with mat ter, with special interest in the energy thus absorbed. Like all forms of electromagnetic radiation, the gamma ray has no mass and no charge.
Radiation that is emitted from the sun is comprised of fluctuating levels of highenergy protons. Table of contents introduction 1 what is radiation. The primary purpose of this chapter is to provide public health officials, toxicologists, and other. Probability of an effect is proportional to dose no threshold. Ionizing radiation is a form of energy that acts by removing electrons from atoms and molecules of materials that include air, water, and living tissue. Ionizing radiation includes the more energetic end of the. This handbook for teachers and students was formulated based on the recommendations of a consultants meeting on international syllabus for radiobiology teaching held. Ionizing radiation can come from natural sources, such as radon and cosmic rays rays that enter the earths atmosphere from outer space. When people hear the word radiation, they often think of atomic energy, nuclear power and radioactivity, but radiation has many other forms. Ionizing radiation includes the more energetic end of the electromagnetic spectrum and subatomic particles. The primary purpose of this chapter is to provide public health officials, toxicologists, and. Radioactive pollution radioactive pollution is defined as the increase in the natural radiation levels in the environment that pose a serious threat to humans and other life forms.
Scope limited to x and gamma rays, alpha particles, beta particles electrons, neutrons, and charged nuclei. Radiation introduction to help answer your radiation questions and dispell any radiation myths. A report on occupational ionizing radiation exposure by an. Ionizing radiation fact book alabama department of. Radiation exists all around us, from both natural and manmade sources, and is in two forms. Different types of radiation may have di erent e ects on the constitution of plastics exposed to them. It describes basic nuclear models, radioactivity, nuclear reactions, and kinematics. The method offers a number of advantages over other nde methods, but one of its disadvantages is the health risk associated with the radiation. Aug 20, 2019 introduction to radiological physics and radiation dosimetry. Non ionizing radiation includes ultraviolet light, radiant heat, radio waves and microwaves. Radiation biology ionizing radiation can also impart enough energy in biological systems to release one or more electrons from their normal positions in. Lecture notes introduction to ionizing radiation nuclear science. Be familiar with some of the methods used to measure radiation dose. Nasa s scientific instruments use the full range of the electromagnetic spectrum to study the earth, the solar system, and the universe beyond.
Podgorsak department of medical physics, mcgill university health centre, montreal, quebec, canada 1. Technology roadmap update for generation iv nuclear energy systems pdf. Cancer, leukemia, cataracts, life shortening from organ failure not directly observed in man, and abortion. Radiation dosimetry is the measurement, calculation and assessment of the absorbed doses and assigning those doses to individuals. Dietary countermeasure mitigates simulated spaceflight.
The carcinogenic effect of high dose of radiation on humans is well documented 1, 2, but the longterm effect of exposure to low doses of ionizing radiation is not clear. Ionizing radiation exposure from radiologic imaging pdf. As discussed in the introduction, concern over the biological effect of ionizing radiation began shortly after the discovery of xrays in 1895. There are two forms of radiation non ionizing and ionizing which will be discussed in sections 3. This course provides an introduction to nuclear science and its engineering applications.
Introduction to the electromagnetic spectrum science. Proceedings of the international conference on nonionizing radiation at uniten icnir2003 electromagnetic fields and our health 20th n 22 d october 2003 2 introduction nonionizing radiations nir encompass the long wavelength 100 nm, low photon energy radiation that can produce ions when it interacts with matter is called ionizing radiation. This webinar, presented by angela yeadon aurora hp, is for those who require an overview of managing nir artificial optical radiation and electromagnetic fields safety in the workplace. Mechanisms underlying flash radiotherapy, a novel way to. Introduction ionizing radiation types and sources of ionizing. Lecture notes introduction to ionizing radiation nuclear. Todays market dynamics using industrial electron beam, xray and gamma ray technologies are changing approaches to radiation sterilization, including. Introduction to ionizing radiation radioactive cobalt. Ionizing radiation introduction to ionizing radiation. Readings introduction to nuclear engineering and ionizing. Introduction to radiation canadian nuclear safety commission.
Introduction to radiation physics, quantities and units. Radiation protection concepts and principles new health technologies and medical devices using ionizing radiation have led to major improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of human disease. Our magnetosphere protects us from significant exposure to radiation from the sun and from space. The components of space radiation that are of concern are the highenergy, charged nuclei of elements from hydrogen protons to iron highenergy nuclei with charges greater than 2 are also referred to as hze particles. Detecting and measuring ionizing radiation a short history. Ionizing and non ionizing radiation study guide radiation energy emitted from a body or source that is transmitted through an intervening medium or space and absorbed by another body. Nonionizing radiations sources, biological effects. Conference of radiation control program directors, inc. Ionizing radiation in very high levels is known to increase the incidence of. Gamma rays interact with material by colliding with the electrons in the shells of atoms. Ionization results in the production of negatively charged free electrons and positively charged ionized atoms.
Ionizing radiation is electromagnetic radiation that has sufficient en ergy to remove electrons from atoms. A radio detects a different portion of the spectrum, and an xray machine uses yet another portion. Ionizing radiation consists of particles and photons that have sufficient energy to ionize atoms in the human body, thus inducing chemical changes that may be. Radiation basics 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. Healthcare employees are the largest group exposed to ionizing radiation 1, 2.
Alterations in the gravity vector and exposure to ionizing radiation can disrupt skeletal homeostasis in mice 1,2,3. With more than 2,200 courses available, ocw is delivering on the promise of open sharing of knowledge. Frequency is measured by counting the number of waves that pass a. Directly ionizing radiation deposits energy in the medium through direct coulomb interactions between the directly ionizing charged particle and. Biological effects of ionizing radiation pdf wright state university. Dec 31, 2003 ionizing radiation introduction ionizing radiation is electromagnetic radiation that has sufficient energy to remove electrons from atoms. Introduction to radiation pdf canadian nuclear safety. For example, at one time, assistants in shoe shops used xrays to check a childs shoe size, but this practice was halted when the risks of ionizing radiation were better understood. Radioactive contamination is the deposition of or presence of radioactive substances on surfaces or within solids, liquids or gases including the human body, where their presence is unintended or undesirable. Assignments introduction to nuclear engineering and. The most commonly known types of ionizing radiation are alpha, beta, gamma, x, and neutron rays.
Ionizing radiation in very high levels is known to increase the incidence of cancer, birth anomalies, erythema, and other problems. Radiation is classified as being either non ionizing or ionizing. Ionizing radiation can break molecular bonds, causing unpredictable chemical reactions. If you need to print pages from this book, we recommend downloading it as a pdf. Non ionizing radiation can shake or move molecules. Attix, introduction to radiological physics and radiation dosimetry introduction need to describe interactions of ionizing radiation with matter special interest is in the energy absorbed in matter, absorbed dose delivered by directly ionizing radiation. Ionizing radiation national toxicology program nih. Any electromagnetic or particulate radiation capable of producing ion pairs by interaction with matter. Radiation dosimetry dosimetry of ionizing radiation. Radiation, alpha particles, beta particles, gamma rays, xrays, radionuclides. Radiation introduction to types of radiation and radiation. Ionizing radiation an overview sciencedirect topics. Readings and lecture notes introduction to nuclear. Introduction the fact that ionizing radiation produces biological damage has been known for many years.
Analysis of plastic degradation due to ionizing radiation. Introduction to nuclear engineering and ionizing radiation. Humans cannot see, feel, taste, smell or hear ionizing radiation. Definition of ionizing radiation nci dictionary of. Ionizing radiation, flow of energy in the form of atomic and subatomic particles or electromagnetic waves that is capable of freeing electrons from an atom, causing the atom to become charged or ionized. The essence of radiotherapy lies in effectively killing tumor cells with ionizing radiation while minimizing normal tissue injury that negatively impacts patient care and quality of life. Non ionizing radiation is not included on the dose ranges chart. Understand the distinctions between the units of radiation quantity, exposure and dose. Fundamental physical constants rounded off to four significant figures. Mit opencourseware makes the materials used in the teaching of almost all of mits subjects available on the web, free of charge.
Communicating radiation risks in paediatric imaging information to support healthcare discussions about benefit and risk 29 chapter 2. Ionizing radiation can be classified into two catego. Scear assesses levels and health effects of exposure to ionizing radiation. Radiation that can produce ions when it interacts with matter is called ionizing radiation. Thank you for visiting our website you are exiting the department of labors web server. Ionizing radiation includes cosmic rays, x rays and the radiation from radioactive materials. Ionizing radiation includes not only energy waves but particles as well. Applications of ionizing radiations introduction ionizing radiation can modify physical, chemical, and biological properties of materials. The aim is to provide an introduction so that nonspecialist individuals in this area be they policymakers, disputers of policy, health professionals or students have a straightforward place to start.
Particularly important biologically since media can be altered e. Frequency is measured by counting the number of waves that pass a fixed point in one second. It further explains how radiation protection, safety and security can work individually and collectively to manage radiation risks. Ionizing em radiation em radiation with wavelengths shorter than 100 nanometers can remove electrons from the outer atomic shells. Ionizing radiation can travel unseen and pass through these materials. While there are other, less energetic, types of nonionizing radiation including radio waves, microwavesand visible light, this booklet is about ionizing radiation. The first case of human injury was reported in the literature just a few months following. Find materials for this course in the pages linked along the left. This report hparpd055 is an introduction to the estimation of risks arising from exposure to low doses of ionising radiation. Non ionizing radiation has less energy than ionizing radiation. Ionizing radiation introduction ionizing radiation is electromagnetic radiation that has sufficient energy to remove electrons from atoms. Interaction of ionizing radiation with matter chapter 2 f.
It is the science and practice that attempts to quantitatively relate specific measures made in a radiation field to chemical andor biological changes that the radiation would produce in a target. Ions can interact with living tissue to produce biological damage. Natural ionizing radiation and health norges geologiske. Course objectives understand the basic physics of the electromagnetic and particulate forms of ionizing radiation. Unfortunately, this book cant be printed from the openbook.