Radiation and Radioactive Materials - What Every Public Safety Officer Should Know About
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What Every Public Safety Officer Should Know About Radiation and Radioactive Materials National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center A Program of the National Institute of Justice
Introduction
Radiation is part of our environment. It comes from both
natural and manmade sources. Natural sources include cos-
mic radiation from space, radioactive rocks and soils, and
other radioactive materials found in food and water. Humans
have been exposed to these natural radiation sources since
the dawn of humanity. Manmade sources of radiation
include medical diagnosis and treatment, nuclear power
industry, scientific research, consumer products, and
This quick-reference guide for nuclear weapons testing.
public safety personnel pro-
What Is Radiation and What Is
vides basic information about
Contamination?
and an understanding of radia- Radiation is a form of energy. The atoms of some elements
tion, radiation hazards, and are radioactive and spontaneously release energy (radiation)
as they transform from unstable to stable forms. Most ele-
initial response. It is not
ments are stable and do not emit radiation and therefore are
intended to replace an not considered radioactive.
agency’s existing policies, pro- Radioactive material located in a place where it is not want-
cedures, or training. Agency ed is known as contamination. For example, radioactive fuel
response protocols should be contained in a nuclear reactor is not considered contamina-
tion. However, if that same fuel is released from the reactor
developed and followed for into the environment during an accident, it is considered
response to suspect weapons contamination.
of mass destruction incidents.
This aid is not intended to
Different Kinds of Radiation
Remember that radiation is a form of energy released from
serve as a response guide. a radioactive atom. That energy can be released in four
different forms: alpha particles, beta particles, gamma
rays, and neutrons. Awareness of the different forms of23
radiation will better prepare you to protect materials can be used to block (shield)
yourself and the public. gamma rays. Gamma rays can be an
extreme external body hazard.
● Alpha particles
can travel short dis- ● Neutrons are extremely small atomic
tances (inches). particles. They can travel long distances
A sheet of paper in air and are released when an atom
or the outer breaks apart, a process known as fission.
layer of a Water and concrete can be used to
person’s skin shield neutrons. Neutrons, like gamma
easily stops rays, can be an extreme external body
them. Radio- hazard.
active materi-
Special instrumentation and trained person-
als that emit
nel are needed to accurately identify the
alpha particles
form(s) of radiation. Reliable packaging
are hazardous
information (if available) may also help to
only when inhaled,
determine the radiation form.
ingested, absorbed, or
injected.
Natural Sources of
● Beta particles can travel farther and can Radiation
pass through a sheet of paper and some Radiation emitted by radioactive elements
clothing, but are stopped by thin metal or is naturally present in soil, water, and air.
glass. Beta particles can damage skin, Radioactive materials are found all the way
but like alpha particles the greatest up the food chain, including in humans.
hazard comes when a person inhales, The human body naturally contains many
ingests, absorbs, or is injected with radioactive elements. Building materials,
materials that emit beta particles. such as granite, contain radioactive materi-
● Gamma rays are similar to x rays. They als. Even the air we breathe contains small
travel at the speed of light through air. concentrations of the radioactive gas
Concrete, lead, steel, and other dense radon, which seeps from the Earth’s crust.Cosmic radiation from outer space also is a source of
natural radiation. The atmosphere screens out most
cosmic radiation, but some still penetrates to the
ground. The dose from cosmic radiation increases
with altitude. As a result, people living at higher
elevations receive a higher cosmic radiation dose
than those living at sea level. People whose occupa-
tions require airline travel will experience a higher
level of radiation exposure for the same reason.
Manmade Sources of Radiation
Radioactive materials can be produced in nuclear
reactors. X-ray machines and nuclear reactors are
examples of manmade radiation sources. Manmade
radioactive materials are used in medicine, industry,
research, and nuclear weapons.
Medical uses of radiation can be roughly broken
into diagnostic and therapeutic. Diagnostic uses
include routine x rays and injection or ingestion of
radioactive materials for imaging internal organs.
Therapeutic applications include cancer treatments.
Industrial uses include well logging, physical prop-
erty measurements, smoke detectors, and weapon
night sights (tritium). Special nuclear materials,
such as plutonium and uranium, are used in nuclear
weapons.
What Is a Dirty Bomb?
According to the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), the term “dirty bomb” commonly45
refers to a device that spreads radioactive detection instruments are available com-
material by exploding a conventional (non- mercially. These types of detectors include
nuclear) explosive, such as dynamite. Dirty personal devices used to detect radiation
bombs are sometimes called radiological exposure and are similar to those worn by
dispersal devices. Typically, the threat of a x-ray or medical personnel; duty-belt-worn
dirty bomb is from the explosion, not from detectors, commonly referred to as radia-
radioactive materials or radiation. However, tion pagers, which can be used for search-
the spread of radioactive contamination is ing for sources; handheld monitors for
likely to create hysteria and terror among determining radiation exposure data; and
the public and contaminate the exposed larger, more sophisticated instrumentation,
area. Dirty bombs are not traditional which can be used to determine the type
nuclear weapons and cannot cause mass of radioactive atoms present. The cost of
devastation like a nuclear weapon or an these types of detectors ranges from sever-
improvised nuclear device. They are diffi- al hundred to several thousand dollars.
cult to accurately describe or characterize
because they may be constructed using dif- What Actions Do I Take
ferent types of containers and virtually any If I Suspect a Radioactive
industrial or medical radiation source. Source or Contamination?
Follow the protocols established by your
Detection of Radioactivity agency. Remember: Detection and identi-
The most obvious means of determining the fication of a radioactive source and con-
presence of radioactive material is by locat- tamination require special training and
ing a radiation warning symbol on a vehi- instrumentation. The extent of contamina-
cle, container, or object, or at the entrances tion can depend on many factors, including
and exits of a room or facility. Nuclear radi- the size of the explosive, if any; the
ation cannot be seen, heard, smelled, or amount and type of radioactive material
tasted. It can be detected, however, using used; the weather; and the terrain.
proper instrumentation. Various types of
detectors are required to detect specific Department policies and procedures may
types of radiation. Some simple radiation differ regarding whom to contact if aradiological event is suspected. Make sure Three key factors influence an individual’s
you have ready access to telephone num- radiation dose from exposure to a given
bers to contact the appropriate resources. source: time, distance, and shielding.
Supervisor: __________________________ ● Time. The most direct way to reduce a
Fire/HazMat: _________________________ radiation dose is to reduce the time
spent working with or in the vicinity
FBI: ________________________________ of radiation sources. If the exposure
FEMA: ______________________________ time is cut in half, the dose will be
cut in half.
EPA: _______________________________
● Distance. When the working distance
NRC: _______________________________
from a point radiation source is
Other: ______________________________ increased by a factor of two, the dose
received from that source will be
What Are the Risks and How reduced by a factor of four. Moving
Do I Protect the Public and from 20 feet to 40 feet from the
Myself? source will decrease your exposure to
The fundamental principle in radiation 1/4 of the original exposure.
protection is that all exposures should ● Shielding. Shielding is the use of any
be kept to a minimum.
material to reduce the intensity of the
Typically, exposure to radioactivity has no radiation by absorbing or reflecting
immediate symptoms (asymptomatic). We the radiation.
are all continually exposed to natural radia-
Again, first and foremost, follow your
tion. However, heavy exposure to intense
agency’s response protocol. If one is not
sources, although rare, can cause radiation
available, remember: In the case of an
sickness, which can include nausea, vomit-
explosion, the blast may cause injury and
ing, and diarrhea. Eye damage, increased
death to those in its immediate proximity.
cancer risk, genetic defects, and even
Also, entry without proper equipment,
death can also result from higher exposure
training, and procedures into an area with
levels.67
dispersed radioactive materials may put you
This brochure was developed in co-
at risk. operation with the Law Enforcement
Technology Support Center at the
Individuals or items suspected of being U.S. Department of Energy’s Savan-
radiologically contaminated should be iso- nah River Technology Center, which is
lated and secured until they can be sur- funded by the National Institute of Justice
veyed with proper radiation detection (Interagency Agreement #2002–LT–R–032) and
is a technology partner with the National Law
instrumentation. Only trained personnel Enforcement and Corrections Technology
should perform the survey and decontami- Center–Southeast.
nation of individuals or property. The area The National Law Enforcement and Corrections
also should be secured so that unauthorized Technology Center is supported by Cooperative
personnel are not exposed to radiation and Agreement #96–MU–MU–K011 awarded by the
do not disturb the scene. U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute
of Justice. Points of view or opinions contained
Remember that dust and other airborne within this document are those of the authors
and do not represent the official position or
particles and fragments from an exploded policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. The
dirty bomb may contain radioactive materi- National Institute of Justice is a component of
als. Appropriate respiratory equipment and the Office of Justice Programs, which also in-
clothing should be worn and proper proce- cludes the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Bureau
of Justice Statistics, Office of Juvenile Justice
dures followed. and Delinquency Prevention, and Office for
Victims of Crime.
For more information about other
resources addressing this topic, con-
tact the National Law Enforcement A Program of the
National Institute
and Corrections Technology Center National Law Enforcement and
Corrections Technology Center of Justice
system at 800–248–2742, or e-mail
asknlectc@nlectc.org. The web address
is www.justnet.org.National Law Enforcement and
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