Radiation

Measuring radiation exposure

Source: NHS

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The low levels of radiation you are exposed to during medical tests can be measured in units called millisieverts (mSv).

Some examples of different levels of radiation exposure are listed below.

  • asingle chestX-ray (0.014 mSv) equivalent to three days of natural background radiation (read more about the risks of X-rays )
  • a mammogram (0.4 mSv) the amount of radiation a woman receivesduring a mammogram of both breasts (a type of X-ray used during breast cancer screening); the benefit of detecting breast cancer at an early stage is likely to outweigh the risk of any problems from the radiation exposure
  • natural radiation (2.7 mSv) the average annual dose a person in the UK receives from natural sources
  • acomputerised tomography (CT) scan of the wholespine (10 mSv) thedose is lower for a CT scan of the head or chest; the benefits of havinga CT scan usually greatly outweigh any potential risk(read more about the risks of CT scans )
  • working with radiation (20 mSv) the UK legal limit that a classified person who works with radiation may be exposed to in any given year (as set by the Ionising Radiations Regulations 1999); however, most workers receive considerably less than this

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Articles for Radiation

Introduction

Radiation is a general term that refers to any sort of energy that can travel through space either as a wave or a particle.

Measuring radiation exposure

The low levels of radiation you are exposed to during medical tests can be measured in units called millisieverts (mSv). Some examples of different levels of radiation exposure are listed below. a

Non-ionising radiation

Examples of non-ionising radiation include: ultraviolet radiation visible light infrared radiation microwaves radio and radar waves wireless internet connections (wifi) mobile phone signals

Occupational risk

There's conflicting evidence about the risks faced by people who regularly work with radiation.This includes nuclear power workers and medical professionals who use radioactive technology, such as X-r

Types of radiation

There are two types of radiationthat may be associated with health risks. These are: non-ionising radiation (low energy) ionising radiation (high energy) You'll usually only be exposed to man-mad