ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the fundamentals of both ionizing and nonionizing radiation. Ionizing radiation occurs as the result of particles or electromagnetic waves having enough energy to detach electrons from atoms or molecules, thereby causing ionization of the atom. The three types of particle radiation include: alpha, beta, and neutron. Organs that are generally most susceptible to radiation damage include lymphocytes, bone marrow, gastrointestinal cells, gonads, and other fast-growing cells. As part of the natural process, radioactive materials spontaneously emit various combinations of ionizing particles and gamma or x-rays of ionizing radiation to become more stable. The first type of decay is known as alpha decay. The second type of decay is known as beta decay. Nonionizing radiation is described as a series of energy waves composed of oscillating electric and magnetic fields traveling at the speed of light. Nonionizing radiation includes the spectrum of ultraviolet (UV), visible light, infrared (IR), microwave (MW), radio frequency (RF), and extremely low frequency (ELF).
