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PRACTICAL WORK №8

QUANTITIES AND UNITS OF IONIZING RADIATION.
ASSESSMENT OF THE RADIATION SITUATION IN THE EVENT
OF AN ACCIDENT AT A RADIATION HAZARDOUS FACILITY

1 OUTCOMES
Become familiar with quantities and units of ionizing radiation, methods of
reducing the radiation dose, and carrying out the necessary calculations of
assessment of the radiation situation.

2 DURATION OF CLASS
The class duration is four academic hours.

3 BASIC THEORY
3.1 Fundamentals of radiation safety and protection
Radiation can be either non-ionizing – low energy or ionizing – high energy
(see Figure 8.1).
*
To understand how to protect soldiers from ionizing radiation , it is
necessary to understand its characteristics, how it interacts with tissues in the body,
and the effects that these interactions may have on immediate and long-term
health.
All matter is made up of atoms, and each atom consists of a nucleus with
neutrons and positively charged protons. Negatively charged electrons surround
the nucleus. The nucleus of a radioactive atom has excess energy that causes it to
be unstable. To become more stable, the radioactive nucleus will eventually release

energy in the form of either particles with mass (e.g., alpha and beta particles) or
electromagnetic waves (e.g., gamma and x rays).
When these forms of radiation strike atoms of any material, they may have
enough energy to eject electrons, thus resulting in the creation of charged ions.
This process, called ionization,can result in the breaking of the electron bonds that
hold atoms together. Ionization and other radiation-induced effects, such as
excitation and free radical formation, cause chemical changes in components of the
living cell, including chemicals, such as deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), the genetic
material that is located in the chromosomes within the cell nucleus.
Less energetic non-ionizing radiation does not have enough energy to
remove electrons from the material in traverses. Examples of non-ionizing
radiation include radio frequencies, microwaves, infrared, visible light, and
ultraviolet light.
Proceeding from the foregoing, forms of ionizing radiation include:
• Gamma rays
• X rays
• Alpha particles
• Beta particles

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