Radiation is energy that travels in the form of waves or particles and is part of our everyday environment. People are exposed to radiation from cosmic rays, as well as to radioactive materials found in the soil, water, food, air and also inside the body.
WHO fact sheet on ionizing radiation, health effects and protective measures: includes key facts, definition, sources, type of exposure, health effects, nuclear emergencies, WHO response.
Radiation is the emission of energy as electromagnetic waves or moving subatomic particles. Natural radiation comes from many naturally occurring radioactive materials found in soil, water, air and in the body. Every day, people inhale and ingest forms of radiation from air, food and water.
Ionizing radiation is radiation with enough energy that to remove tightly bound electrons from the orbit of an atom, causing that atom to become charged or ionized. Here we are concerned with only one type of radiation, ionizing radiation, which occurs in two forms: waves or particles. There are several forms of electromagnetic radiation, which differ only in frequency and wavelength: Longer ...
Everyone is exposed to UV radiation from the sun and an increasing number of people are exposed to artificial sources used in industry, commerce and recreation. The sun is by far the strongest source of ultraviolet radiation in our environment. Solar emissions include visible light, heat and ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Just as visible light consists of different colours that become apparent in ...
Radiation emergencies can greatly impact human health and the environment. The impact will vary considerably, depending on the scenario, scale of the emergency, type of radiation and exposure duration, the pathway of the exposure (external, internal, or combined), availability and timeliness of countermeasures, as well as individual characteristics of the exposed person (age, gender ...
WHO collaborates with the IAEA on a number of areas including the medical use of radiation, radiation protection and the safety of the public and workers, and radio-nuclear emergency preparedness and response. Under the auspices of the UN Chernobyl Forum, WHO carried out its own independent health assessment of the accident.
Exposure to radiation Ionizing (x-rays, radionuclides) and non-ionizing radiation (UV, lasers) exposure may occur in health-care settings and pose specific risk to the health and safety of health workers.