What is the difference between contamination and radiation?

What is the difference between contamination and radiation?

• A. Contamination refers to radioactive material in unintended places, while radiation is the energy released by that material.
• B. Radiation is the radioactive material in unintended places; contamination is energy released.
• C. Contamination and radiation are identical.
• D. Contamination is energy, radiation is material.

Answer: (A)

The important distinction is that contamination is the presence of radioactive material where it shouldn’t be, while radiation is the energy that material emits. Contamination refers to the substance itself being in places it may spread, on skin, clothing, equipment, or surfaces, and it can be movable (removable contamination) or stuck (fixed contamination). Radiation, on the other hand, is not a material—it’s the energy released by radioactive material or by a radiation source, which can travel through space or through matter and cause ionization. A spill of radioactive liquid is contamination because the material is in an unintended place and can spread; the radiation it emits is the energy that can expose people if they are close or if the material is ingested or inhaled. A sealed source can emit radiation without contaminating anything, since the material isn’t spreading. That’s why the correct choice is that contamination refers to radioactive material in unintended places, while radiation is the energy released by that material. The other statements mix up the ideas or treat contamination and radiation as the same or reversed concepts.

The important distinction is that contamination is the presence of radioactive material where it shouldn’t be, while radiation is the energy that material emits. Contamination refers to the substance itself being in places it may spread, on skin, clothing, equipment, or surfaces, and it can be movable (removable contamination) or stuck (fixed contamination). Radiation, on the other hand, is not a material—it’s the energy released by radioactive material or by a radiation source, which can travel through space or through matter and cause ionization. A spill of radioactive liquid is contamination because the material is in an unintended place and can spread; the radiation it emits is the energy that can expose people if they are close or if the material is ingested or inhaled. A sealed source can emit radiation without contaminating anything, since the material isn’t spreading.

That’s why the correct choice is that contamination refers to radioactive material in unintended places, while radiation is the energy released by that material. The other statements mix up the ideas or treat contamination and radiation as the same or reversed concepts.