Monitor Radiation

There are different types of radiation which can be harmful to people, animals and the environment. It is important to monitor radiation levels to ensure the safety of the people working in areas where radiation is present as well as detect leaks. There are two types of radiation and have to do whether the radiation can ionize the atom, and are known as non-ionizing and ionizing. While both types are harmful with long-term direct exposure, ionizing radiation is more dangerous. Ionizing radiation can consist of gamma waves, beta waves, X-Ray waves, alpha waves, and neutron waves. Ionizing radiation can ionize atoms and strip electrons from the shell leaving a positive charge on the atom. There are devices available to help monitor radiation produced by ionizing radiation since these types can destroy cells and increase cancer risks. However, some of these types of radiation are used to treat certain types of cancers as well, so balancing exposure rates have to be monitored in order to provide treatments.

Non-ionizing radiation is less powerful and produces less energy than ionizing radiation. Electromagnetic radiation and neutron radiation fall into non-ionizing types, along with several different types of electromagnetic radiation such as visible light, microwave, infrared and radio waves. Non-ionizing radiation can cause harm to people with prolonged exposure so monitoring radiation of these types is just as important as monitoring ionizing radiation types.Most people are familiar with microwaves and microwave ovens which help reheat and cook food, pop popcorn, boil water, and provide faster cooking than using a traditional oven. Microwave ovens are built which provide proper shielding from the microwaves which helps to protect the people using the devices. Without the shielding, microwaves can cause burns, tumors, and cancer. A person can obtain a device to monitor radiation given off by microwave ovens if it is believed the oven is defective. Nuclear power plants need to monitor radiation constantly to make sure the nuclear cores are not leaking radiation and to protect the safety of workers and the surrounding communities.

Workers in nuclear power plants wear individual monitoring devices which track the level of radiation a person is exposed to. These can be checked on a regular basis to ensure the worker is not overexposed to radiation. When accidents occur, like the Chernobyl accident and the Fukushima Nuclear plant accident, the areas surrounding the nuclear plants need to monitor radiation levels. Entire towns may have to be evacuated and may never be able to be lived in for a very long period of time due to radiation levels. People may have radiation sickness which is the overexposure to gamma radiation in a short period of time. This, if not treated, can lead to cancer, illness, and other long-term complications. Universal Detection Technology, www.udetection.com, provides devices to help monitor radiation and has been around for over thirty years. The company provides services and solutions for many different industries which need to monitor exposure to radiation levels including nuclear power plants and the health care industry. Universal detection Technology is a supplier of detection equipment for monitoring air quality as well as detecting chemical, radiological and biological radiation and weapons.