What is ionising radiation?

Ionising radiation are radiation that have sufficient energy to ionise atoms or molecules by detaching electrons from such particles. Ionising radiation are everywhere and naturally occuring. Hence exposure to radiation from natural sources is an inescapable feature of everyday life in both working and public environments.

Why is it everywhere?

Ionising radiation are emitted from radionuclides that can be commonly found in many day to day materials. These can include natural radioactive elements in the ground, radon gas that seep out from concrete building, cosmic rays from the Sun and even trace amounts of radioactive elements in our food. Thus it is normal to be exposed to ionising radiation in your everyday life.

Below is a video showcasing an experiment utilising the naturally occurring radon gas and the daughter radionuclides that you can try at home with the ionising radiation detector.

How does it affect us?

Ionizing radiation are capable of ionisation of atoms or molecules in living cells and thereby damage their genetic material(DNA). In the event where the cell is not repaired correctly, the cell may die or become cancerous. However, our cells have adapted to regularly check for damage to the cells and incorporate repair mechanisms if any is discovered. Hence receiving small dose of radiation will have little effect on your body.

It is estimated that a person will naturally receive around 2.4 mSv of radiation dose per year. Below is a dose reference chart that showcase some notable radiation dose exposure.