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65
Atomic Radiation
This subject is very much in the news today and promises to
be a health problem for years to come. Statements by experts on
varying aspects of radiation have tended to confuse the man in the
street and often instil fear. An attempt here is made to clarify
some basic principles.
What is atomic radiation? In its simplest and widest sense
it is a phenomenon of nature it is present everywhere to a
greater or lesser degree and is known as the "natural background
radiation" of the earth and its atmosphere. Following the
discovery of X-rays by Roentgen in 1895, certain uranium salts
were discovered a few months later to possess penetrating rays and
shortly afterwards radium itself was discovered Why should some
substances emit rays? The reason is that these substances are
composed of atoms that are unstable and these break down and form
other substances, and energy in the form of rays is produced.
Uranium breaks down to form a series of unstable substances
thorium - radium - radon polonium and so on until the stable
form of the common metal, lead is formed Nowadays radioactive
substances can be produced artificially in nuclear reactors, e.g.
the numerous radioactive isotopes of iodine or phosphorus and many
others which find a great number of uses in medicine and industry.
What are the nature of these rays themselves? They are part
of the Electro Magnetic Spectrum of rays Most of these rays are
commonly accepted nowadays and appear in the form of heat (infrared),
light (visible and ultra voilet). wireless waves (Hertzian
waves) and X-rays. The true waves to atomic disintegration are
known as Gamma rays (Alpha and Beta rays are particulate and cannot
be classified as true rays) Gamma rays are similar to X-rays
and have the power of great penetration Alpha and Beta rays
have only slight penetration since they are electrically charged
Particles.
It has been established that all the rays of heat, light and
radio, travel at the same speed, some thousands of miles per
second. The crucial aspect of difference lies in the wave length
(and its frequency) where the greater the wave length (and lower
the frequency) the more harmless the ray, and conversely the
shorter the wave length (and higher the frequency) the more