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SECTION MENU
- Radiation Explained |
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Put quite simply,
radiation is energy traveling in the
form of particles or waves —
such as light and heat.
The atoms of certain heavy elements
like uranium and plutonium emit a
type of high-powered energy called “ionizing
radiation.” Ionizing radiation has enough energy
to change the structure of the atoms it collides with.
Typically, it causes these atoms to lose an electron,
which then makes them “ions.”
An atom that emits ionizing radiation
is described as
“radioactive.” These
atoms will eventually quit being
radioactive as they release their
energy over time.
The term "dose" means the amount
of radiation a person is exposed
to.
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We measure radiation doses in units
called "rem." Since most people are
exposed to very small amounts of
radiation, we often express a dose
in "millirem," or thousandths of
a rem.
We measure the rate of delivery of
a dose in "millirem per hour" (or
day or year).
For example, in the
United States, the average radiation
dose rate is 360 millirem per year.
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