Radioactive saftey

Radiation harms living cells
1. Alpha, beta and gamma radiation will cheerfully enter living cells and collide with molecules.
2. These collisions cause ionisiation, which damages or destroys the molecules.
3. Lower doses tend to cause minor damages without killing the cell.
4. Higher doses tend to kill cells completely, which causes radiation sickness if a lot of cells get killed at once.
5. The extend of the harmful effects depends on two things:
  1. How much exposure you have had to the radiation.
  2. The energy and penetration of the radiation, because some types are more dangerous than others.
Outside the body beta and gamma sources are the most dangerous.
1. This is because beta and gamma radiation can get to the delicate organs, whereas alpha is much less dangerous because it cant even penetrate the skin.
Inside the body an alpha source is the most dangerous.
1. Inside the body alpha sources do all their damage in a very localised area. Beta and gamma sources are less dangerous because they pass straight out.
Safety precautions
1. When conducting experiments, use radioactive sources for as short a time as possible.
2. Never allow your skin to touch the radioactive source, handle with tongs.
3. Hold the source at arms length to keep it as far away form your body as possible.
4. Keep the source pointing away form you and avoid looking directly at it.
5. lead absorbs radiation, therefore you should store radioactive sources in a lead box.

Resource summary

	Created by jessica-gollop about 11 years ago