Radioactivity can be dangerous, depending on:
- the amount received: it is like exposure to the sun, beware of sun stroke!
- the distance between the radioactive source and the person in question;
- the period of exposure.
To protect oneself, it is therefore necessary:
- to interpose screens between the radioactive source and the environment to stop the radiation: a simple sheet of paper for α radiation (alpha), an aluminium sheet or a pane of glass for β rays (beta), and a metre of concrete for γ rays (gamma);
- to move away from the source: air acts as a screen;
- to reduce the length of exposure as much as possible.
Protection against radioactivity aims to protect from ionising radiation:
- the people who work in sectors using radiation (a hospital environment, a nuclear power station …);
- the patients who are exposed to this radiation in order to establish diagnoses or to provide treatment;
- the population in general, by controlling that the water, air, food …
we consume have not received quantities of radioactivity
above
the regulatory norms.
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