Glossary

There are many radiation units, so many in fact that we will explain only a few. These are the units most likely to be used in the media or at a local town meeting on radiation-related issues.  If you would like to know the definition of other radiation terms, visit the Radiation Terms section on the Health Physics Society web site.

Current law in the United States requires the use of standard units while the rest of the world uses an international system (SI) of units – very similar to the United States using inches and feet while outside the U.S. centimeters and meters are used. 

   

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

A
absorbed dose
For purposes of radiation protection and assessing dose or risk to humans in general terms, the amount of radiation typically calculated is the absorbed dose in an organ or tissue (i.e., the amount of radiation energy that has been left in cells, tissues, or organs). Absorbed dose is usually defined as energy deposited (joule) per unit of mass (kilogram). See rad and gray.
alpha particle
An alpha particle is a particle with weight (it is made up of two protons and two neutrons) and charge (it is positively charged because protons have a positive charge). Alpha particles do not travel very far and are not considered an exposure hazard unless the radioactive material that emits them gets inside the body.
as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA)
ALARA is a principle of radiation protection that calls for practical efforts to be taken to keep exposures to ionizing radiation as low as reasonably achievable, economic and social factors being taken into account.
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B
becquerel
see curie.
beta particles
Beta particles are energetic electrons given off by atoms when the atoms have too much energy.  Beta particles do not travel very far, but travel farther than alpha particles. Beta particles are typically stopped by a few millimeters or about an eighth (1/8) of an inch of tissue; higher-energy beta particles will be stopped by approximately a centimeter or about a third (1/3) of an inch of tissue.
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C
contamination
Contamination is the presence of radioactive material anywhere it is not wanted – most commonly by adhering, or sticking to surfaces.  
curie
The curie (Ci) is the term used to describe the amount of radioactive material present or strength of the source.  It is based upon the radioactive decay rate of the radionuclide.  One curie is equal to 3.7 x 1010 disintegrations (37 trillion decays) per second (dps); one becquerel is equal to 1 dps.  The most common activity levels used in laboratories are the millicurie (mCi) and microcurie (µCi). A millicurie (mCi) is 1/1000th of a curie and a microcurie (uCi) is 1/1,000,000th of a curie.  In the International System of Units, the becquerel (Bq) describes the amount of radioactive material present.  One curie is equal to 3.7 x 109 Bq.
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d
decontamination
Decontamination is a process through which the presence of radioactive materials (or other hazardous materials) are removed from surfaces (for example, laboratory working areas) through cleaning and washing.
detector
A detector is a device or instrument designed to measure whether radioactive material is present. This can be followed up by using a properly calibrated instrument to estimate how much radioactive material is present.
dose
Dose is a general term used to express (quantify) how much radiation exposure a person has received. The exposure can subsequently be expressed in terms of the absorbed, equivalent, committed, and/or effective dose.
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e
effective dose
Radiation exposures to the human body, whether from external or internal sources, can involve all or a portion of the body.  The health effects of one unit of dose to the entire body is more harmful than the same dose to only a portion of the body, for example the hand or the foot. To enable radiation-protection specialists to express partial-body exposures (and the accompanying doses) to portions of the body in terms of an equal dose to the whole body, the concept of effective dose was developed.  Effective dose, then, is the dose to the whole body that carries with it the same risk as a higher dose to a portion of the body.  As an example, 8 rem (80 mSv) to the lungs is approximately as safe or harmful as 1 rem (10 mSv) to the whole body.
electromagnetic spectrum
The electromagnetic spectrum is a description of the broad range of radiations that include: radiowaves; microwaves; infrared; visible, and ultraviolet light; and x and gamma rays (i.e., the electromagnetic spectrum).
equivalent dose
Equivalent dose is a dose quantity used for radiation-protection purposes that takes into account the chance that a type of radiation will cause an effect.  Different types of radiation (alpha, beta, gamma) interact with human tissues differently with  some leaving a lot of energy in the tissue and others leaving very little energy in the tissue, and the energy that is left is what partially determines whether an effect will occur or not.  Because of this, different types of radiation are assigned numbers based on how effective that type of radiation is at leaving its energy in the tissue, thus having more potential to cause an effect.  By using equivalent dose we are provided an indication of the potential for biological effects.  From this, risk comparisons can be made between the different types of radiation.
exposure
Exposure is the act of being exposed to a radiation source or being irradiated.  Can also be a radiation quantity (see roentgen). 
exposure rate
Exposure rate is the amount of exposure/dose you are receiving per unit time (e.g. 1 mrem/hour).
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g
gamma rays
Gamma rays are high-energy electromagnetic radiation (photons) emitted in an attempt by the radionuclide to become stable, i.e. radioactive decay.  Gamma rays have moderate-to-high penetrating power, are often able to penetrate deep into the body, and generally require some form of shielding, such as lead or concrete.  Visible light is also in the form of photons.  Gamma photons behave similarly to light, but they are invisible.  
gray (Gy)
See rad.
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h
half-life
Also called radiological or physical half-life, this is the amount of time it takes for half of the radioactivity in a material to be gone or to decay.  The half-life of a radionuclide can be fractions of a second or up to millions of years.  As an example, the half-life of iodine-131 is eight days. If we start with 10 radioactivity units of iodine-131, after eight days we have five radioactivity units or half the amount we started with. After eight more days (16 total), we would have 2½ radioactivity units left or a fourth of what we started with. Physical or radioactive half-life refers to reduction of radioactivity by radioactive decay, biological half-life refers to elimination of internal radioactivity by biological processes, and effective half-life is a combination of radioactive decay and biological elimination.
health effect
See observable health effect.
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i
ionization
Ionization is the process by which a neutral atom (an atom with no charge) gains a positive or negative charge. 
irradiate
To irradiate is the act of exposing someone or something to radiation. Irradiated food means food that was exposed to radiation.
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m
monitoring
Monitoring is the act of using instruments to look for radiation and is also the measurement of radiation exposure levels or radionuclide quantities. 
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n
neutrons
Neutrons are elementary particles that are electrically neutral and found in the nucleus of every atom except hydrogen-1. Neutrons have no electric charge and are usually highly penetrating. 
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o
observable health effect
An observable harmful effect is a change in physical health that can be detected medically.  Observable harmful effects may include changes in blood cell counts, skin reddening, cataracts, etc.  Whether or not it is an observable harmful health effect depends on whether damaged to the body has occurred and whether that damage impairs how the body is able to function.
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p
personal radiation dosimeter
More widely known as a radiation “badge,” a personal radiation dosimeter is a device worn by an individual to determine the radiation dose received by the individual.
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r
rad
Rad is the term used to describe absorbed radiation dose.  It describes a specific amount of energy absorbed in a medium (human tissue, for example).  In the International System of Units, the gray (Gy) describes absorbed radiation dose.  One gray is equal to 100 rad.
radiation measuring instrument
A radiation measuring instrument is a device or system used to tell if radiation is present and/or to tell how much and what type of radiation is present.  Common instruments are Geiger Mueller counters (GM), sodium iodide detectors, and ion chambers.
radiation weighting factor
Radiation weighting factors are dimensionless factors developed for radiation protection and to assess health risks from radiation doses that take into account the biological effectiveness of different types of radiation.
radioactive decay
Radioactive decay is the spontaneous transformation of one nuclide into another nuclide or different energy state; in the transformation process, radiation is emitted.  The process by which radionuclides lose that radiation and, thus, the amount of radioactivity they have, is called radioactive decay. 
radioactive material
Radioactive material is material that, by being present in a radiation environment, has become radioactive or is contaminated with radioactive materials (see radioactivity).
radioactivity
Radioactivity is the property of some atomic nuclei of spontaneously emitting gamma rays or subatomic particles (e.g., alpha and beta particles).
radiological
Radiological is a general term pertaining to radiation and radioactive materials.
radionuclide
A radionuclide is a radioactive element, man-made or from natural sources, with a specific atomic weight.
range (of an instrument)
The range of an instrument describes all values lying between the detection limits of the instrument. The lower detection limit is the minimum statistically quantifiable instrument response or reading. The upper detection limit is the maximum level at which the instrument meets the required accuracy.
readout or display
The readout is the portion of an instrument that provides a visual display of its response  (e.g., the displayed value with units).
rem
Rem is the term used to describe equivalent or effective radiation dose. In the International System of Units, the sievert (Sv) describes equivalent or effective radiation dose.  One Sievert is equal to 100 rem.
roentgen (R)
The roentgen (R) or is the term used to describe radiation exposure.  These terms for exposure only describe the amount of ionization in air.  In the International System of Units, the coulomb/kilogram (c/kg) describes radiation exposure.  One roentgen is equal to 2.58 x 10-4 c/kg.
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s
safe
Safe, as it is being used in the information on this Web site, is defined as an activity that is as acceptable to us as most of our daily activities.  This is not to say there is absolutely no risk; there may be a risk from the activity or the exposure to radiation, but it is the same or lower than the risks from everyday actions.
sealed source
A sealed source is a radioactive source sealed in a container (e.g., a tightly welded metal capsule) that does not allow the radioactive substance (contamination) to escape. 
sievert (Sv)
See rem.
stochastic effects
Stochastic effects are chance effects – like rolling the dice.  Radiation, like many other things, has the ability to cause cancer in cells and the chance of cancer increases as radiation exposure increases.
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t
terrorism
Terrorism is the unlawful use of force against individuals or property to intimidate a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in the furtherance of political objectives.
therapeutic
Therapeutic described the medical treatment of disease or disorders.  With respect to radiation therapy, therapeutic doses (e.g., external beam treatments for tumors, radioiodine treatment for thyroid disorders) are significantly greater than those received from diagnostic procedures (e.g., chest x-rays, CT scans, nuclear medicine procedures, etc). 
threshold
Threshold is the point at which radiation first produces an observable effect (response) from acute exposures.
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x
x rays
X rays are electromagnetic radiation (photons) that can be emitted from radionuclides or from certain types of devices.   Generally, x rays have lower energies than gamma rays, but like gamma rays, x rays can penetrate into the body.  Sometimes lead or concrete shielding may be used to stop the x-ray penetration into certain areas (e.g., the lead apron that is draped over a person’s).
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