What is it used for? of Radiation

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Natural sources of radiation are responsible for most of the radioactive substances in the environment. In the UK the main source is radon gas that can seep from the ground into buildings in certain parts of Devon, Cornwall and northern Scotland. Radon is monitored by local authorities and if the problem is severe extraction systems can be used to remove the gas.

Radiation is used for many purposes. Though it offers many benefits, over-exposure to radiation can also threaten our health and the quality of our environment.

In medicine, radiation is primarily used to take images of the body for diagnosis of various conditions. X-rays and computerised tomography (CT), use radiation. Cancer treatment can involve the use of x-rays and other radiation (radiotherapy).

Industry uses radiation to produce energy using radioactive substances as nuclear fuel, and for example the use of x-rays to examine engineering structures. These types of processes result in very small amounts of radioactive energy being released as radioactive waste. Our bodies can also be subject to radioactive â€˜fall-outâ€™ in the event of nuclear weapon tests, or incidents such as the 1986 disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the Soviet Union.

Other forms of radiation are given off by electricity pylons and substations, which are sources of magnetic and electric fields. The Working Group of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has found limited evidence that long-term exposure to higher levels of the magnetic fields generated in this way is associated with a small risk of leukaemia in children. However, in practice, these levels of exposure are rarely encountered by the general public in the UK.

Some small appliances also emit radiation. Mobile phones, for example, transmit and receive radio waves. A tiny fraction of the energy generated is absorbed in the head of the user. Even after prolonged exposure, this level (again, a fraction of one degree centigrade) is similar to the natural daily fluctuations in body temperature. Research is continuing as to whether prolonged use of mobile phones and being close to mobile phone masts are damaging to health.

Food cooked in a microwave oven does not present a radiation risk. Microwaves cease to exist as soon as the power to the microwave generator (magnetron) is switched off, and they do not remain in the food.