Irradiation and Contamination Flashcards
What is irradiation?
When an object is exposed to nuclear radiation
Does irradiation cause an object to become radiaoctive?
No
What is radioactive contamination?
The presence of unwanted radioactive isotopes on or inside other materials
What is the hazard with contamination?
The radioactive atom can decay and emit ionising radiation which will collide with body cells and damage DNA, this causes cells to mutate and form a cancerous tumour
What affects the risk of contamination hazard?
The type of ionising radiation emited when the isotope decays
Name three ways that you can protect yourself against the harmful effects of radiation
Maximise your distance from the source of the radiation
Minimise the time exposed to the source of radiation
Use appropriate shielding to absorb the radiation
How does ionizing radiation cause cancer to form?
The radiation collides with cells and damages their DNA
This causes the cells to mutate and form cancerous tumours
