![]() ![]() Setting time limits helps keep the time spent near a source of radiation as short as possible. Time: The dose of radiation you receive depends on how long you are near a radiation source. For example, people who work with radioactive materials may have time limits on how long they can be near a source which are set according to the exposure risk and shielding requirements such as wearing protective clothing or working behind a barrier. These radiation protection concepts can be applied separately or in combination. The concepts of time, distance and shielding are used to help limit radiation exposure. People may be exposed to an increased radiation dose in certain situations (for example, when receiving a medical radiation treatment or during a radiological emergency). A person’s risk generally increases with the amount of exposure. ![]() Dose refers to the quantity of energy absorbed by a person exposed to radiation and in the United States it is measured in millirem (mrem) or rem (Roentgen Equivalent Man). The effects of ionizing radiation may vary from person to person based on the total amount of energy absorbed, the time period and dose rate of the exposure, and the particular organs exposed. This is because humans have evolved in the presence of radiation. Our bodies can handle some degree of exposure to ionizing radiation and still repair damaged cells. If ionizing radiation is absorbed by the body, the effects can potentially damage living cells and the DNA of these cells. Radioactive atoms continue to decay (some for seconds or days, others for thousands of years) until they give off enough energy to become stable atoms and no longer emit ionizing radiation. This causes the atom to become a charged ion. The energy is called ionizing radiation because as this radiation moves through matter it has enough energy to knock tightly bound electrons from atoms. When radioactive atoms decay, they give off energy in the form of ionizing radiation (alpha particles, beta particles or gamma rays). ![]()
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