Ionizing Radiation and Lightning Hazards

Ionizing Radiation

581 *Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army; Health Services Command Radiation Protection Staff Officer, Fort Sam Houston, Texas 78234-6000; formerly Chief, Health Physics Division, U.S. Army Environmental Hygiene Agency †Chief, Industrial Health Physics Branch, Health Physics Division, U.S. Army Environmental Hygiene Agency ‡Captain, U.S. Army; Chief, Medical Health Physics Branch, U.S. Army Environmen...

People and ionizing radiation

Ionizing Radiation

Introduction Radiation that has sufficient energy to remove electrons from atoms is called “ionizing radiation.” Ionization results in the production of negatively charged free electrons and positively charged ionized atoms. Ionizing radiation can be classified into two groups: photons (includes X-radiation and gamma radiation) and particles (includes alpha and beta particles and neutrons). The...

Ionizing Radiation

Ionizing radiation is electromagnetic radiation that has sufficient energy to remove electrons from atoms. Ionization results in the production of negatively charged free electrons and positively charged ionized atoms. Ionizing radiation can be classified into two categories: photons (X-radiation and gamma radiation) and particles (alpha and beta particles and neutrons). Five types or sources o...

Should I Be Worried About Ionizing Radiation? Ionizing Radiation

The very word "radiation" conjures up scary images – nuclear weapons, cancer therapy, perhaps a science fiction movie scenario with giant mutant ants. In fact, radiation in one form or another is a part of our daily lives. Understanding what radiation, or specifically, ionizing radiation, is can help you understand what risks you face. Although ionizing radiation is a broad topic, we will exami...