Too many people confuse radioactive contamination with radiation. Radiation is energy in the form of light, heat, x-rays, or alpha, beta and gamma rays. Contamination is the presence of radioactive particles in an undesirable location, such as on tools, clothing, skin or lungs.
The only reason we are able to survive on this little ball of cosmic dust is because we are constantly bombarded with radiation from our Sun. There is natural radiation constantly being emitted from granite and marble mountain deposits and from urban buildings, Coal acts like a sponge for radionuclides and releases huge amounts of radiation when the coal is burned. There is natural radiation from radon, cesium and other elements in our environment and man-made radiation from fire places and x-rays.
Yes, radiation is a concern. Too much exposure to the Sun’s radiation can cause skin cancer; excessive exposure to x-rays could cause cancer (as happened to Mme. Curie); exposure to intense thermal radiation (heat) can cause death. But without any radiation, we would all freeze and die.
People’s concern with nuclear radiation stems from elemental radioactive contamination on dust or water particles. Contaminated particles on non-porous surfaces (including skin) can, indeed, be washed off, captured and contained. Radioactive contamination on porous surfaces (cloth, plants, broken skin) is much harder to scrub out, and is therefore more of a concern. But the real problem comes when contamination is ingested or inhaled into one’s body where the radiation can interact with sensitive tissues and organs and is very difficult or impossible to flush out. This is why there is such concern with contamination on food (spinach) and milk. If the radioactive contamination gets inside your body, it’s yours to keep.
Thus, radiation may or may not be a concern, but radioactive materials should always be safely handled and managed. The worst concern for me isn’t spent fuel from nuclear power plants; it’s the discarded x-ray sources from hospitals and dentists offices that are handled and stored much more casually. People are also conerned about the long decay times for radiaoactive materials to “cool down”. This is, indeed, a concern and is why we need a well-engineered and protected storage facility like Yucca Mountain in Nevada and WIPP in New Mexico. But radioactivity is hardly the only source of pollution that can pose environmental problems for many, many years. The majority of the EPA Superfund cleanup sites are dealing with chemical pollution from oil and chemical refineries, mining and manufacturing, rather than radioactive materials.
Too many people confuse radioactive contamination with radiation. Radiation is energy in the form of light, heat, x-rays, or alpha, beta and gamma rays. Contamination is the presence of radioactive particles in an undesirable location, such as on tools, clothing, skin or lungs.
The only reason we are able to survive on this little ball of cosmic dust is because we are constantly bombarded with radiation from our Sun. There is natural radiation constantly being emitted from granite and marble mountain deposits and from urban buildings, Coal acts like a sponge for radionuclides and releases huge amounts of radiation when the coal is burned. There is natural radiation from radon, cesium and other elements in our environment and man-made radiation from fire places and x-rays.
Yes, radiation is a concern. Too much exposure to the Sun’s radiation can cause skin cancer; excessive exposure to x-rays could cause cancer (as happened to Mme. Curie); exposure to intense thermal radiation (heat) can cause death. But without any radiation, we would all freeze and die.
People’s concern with nuclear radiation stems from elemental radioactive contamination on dust or water particles. Contaminated particles on non-porous surfaces (including skin) can, indeed, be washed off, captured and contained. Radioactive contamination on porous surfaces (cloth, plants, broken skin) is much harder to scrub out, and is therefore more of a concern. But the real problem comes when contamination is ingested or inhaled into one’s body where the radiation can interact with sensitive tissues and organs and is very difficult or impossible to flush out. This is why there is such concern with contamination on food (spinach) and milk. If the radioactive contamination gets inside your body, it’s yours to keep.
Thus, radiation may or may not be a concern, but radioactive materials should always be safely handled and managed. The worst concern for me isn’t spent fuel from nuclear power plants; it’s the discarded x-ray sources from hospitals and dentists offices that are handled and stored much more casually. People are also conerned about the long decay times for radiaoactive materials to “cool down”. This is, indeed, a concern and is why we need a well-engineered and protected storage facility like Yucca Mountain in Nevada and WIPP in New Mexico. But radioactivity is hardly the only source of pollution that can pose environmental problems for many, many years. The majority of the EPA Superfund cleanup sites are dealing with chemical pollution from oil and chemical refineries, mining and manufacturing, rather than radioactive materials.