ABSTRACT
From the standpoint of hazard to workers, radiation is generally classed in two groups: nonionizing and ionizing. Nonionizing radiation includes electromagnetic radiation no more energetic than ultraviolet (UV) light. Ionizing radiation generates ion pairs as it passes through matter. Various types of radiation have different properties, but all ionizing radiation has in common the ability to produce ion pairs when passing through matter. Chiefly they differ in their penetrating power and in the level of ion pair formation they produce. As radiation interacts with the matter, it disperses its energy and is stopped. The Geiger-Muller meter is a very common and much used device for radiation measurement that is based on ionization of gases. A dosimeter is a device worn by workers who may be exposed to radiation. One type of dosimeter, called a thermoluminescence detector (TLD), contains a chip of lithium fluoride.
