6. Dangers of Radiation

Question 1

Why is radiation dangerous when it ionises the cells in our body?

Answer 1

• damages DNA of cells causing cell mutations that lead to cancer or destroy the cells

Question 2

What sources are most dangerous outside the body and why?

Answer 2

Beta and gamma

• can penetrate the skin and muscle tissue and reach organs to do damage
• less dangerous inside though- low ionising power

Question 3

What source is the most dangerous inside the body?

Answer 3

Alpha

• high ionising power, does all its damage in more localised area
  Less dangerous outside as less likely to reach healthy cells

Question 4

What are safety precautions that you can take?

Answer 4

Wearing lead lined aprons

Working behind lead glass screens

Reducing the exposure time to the radiation

Radiation detector badges - photographic film which when developed shows amount of radiation the worker has been exposed to

Question 5

What is nuclear waste?

Answer 5

Radioactive material that has no use

Question 6

Why is nuclear waste difficult to dispose of?

Answer 6

Dangerous - emits a, b, g, radiation

• need to wait several half lives until it is safe to handle (could be hundreds, thousands of years)
• very expensive
• hard to find suitable places to bury it

Question 7

How can you dispose of nuclear waste?

Answer 7

Put it in steel drums
Bury it underground under concrete - it might leak out and contaminate water sources
Might have to use robots