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Radiation

Definition:

Energy moving in the form of particles or waves. Familiar radiations are heat, light, radio waves, and microwaves. Ionizing radiation is a very high-energy form of electromagnetic radiation.

Source: US Center for Disease Control and Prevention Glossary of Radiological Terms  

More:

Ionizing radiation is any radiation capable of displacing electrons from atoms in the material through which it passes, thereby producing ions. High doses of ionizing radiation may produce severe skin or tissue damage.

Examples of ionizing radiation include x-rays as well as alpha, beta and gamma radiation.

Human exposure to ionizing raditation is measured in gray (Gy), when talking about absorbed dose, or in millisieverts (mSv), when talking about effective dos

Source: GreenFacts, based on CDC Glossary of Radiological Terms 

Related words:

Radioactivity - Ultraviolet radiation

To read about this term in context:

GreenFacts Summary on the Chernobyl Nuclear Accident:

Translation(s):

Español: Radiación
Français: Radiation

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