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30.1 X-rays and radioactivity

• X-rays are a kind of electromagnetic wave of high frequency (i.e. short wavelength).

Nature of X-rays

radio wave micro-wave

infraredradiation

visible light ultravioletradiation

X-ray gamma ray

increasing frequency

Electromagnetic spectrum

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• X-rays can be produced by rapid deceleration of high-speed charged particles, for example, hitting a heavy metal target with high-speed electrons.

X-ray tube

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• Depending on the frequency of the X-rays as well as the medium through which they transmit, they lose energy to different extent in transmission.

• X-rays are also a kind of ionizing radiation.• Ionization is the process in which one or more electrons are

removed from an atom, which then becomes an ion.

bone

flesh

low-frequency X-rays

Low-frequency X-rays can pass through flesh but not through bones.

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Applications of X-rays

Medical use

• Radiographic imaging

• Computed tomography (CT) scan

An X-ray image of lungs A CT scan image of a patient’s head

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Security use

• X-ray inspection in airports

An X-ray image of luggage An X-ray image of a passenger in an airport

Industrial use• Detecting defective products at the point of production

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In radiation fields

• Workers have to follow the ‘ALARA (As Low As Reasonable Achievable) principle’, which means to reduce exposure to radiation to the lowest possible level.

Safety precautions

Workers wearing protective clothing

Handling highly radioactive materials with robot arms

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In school laboratories

• Sources should be handled with special forceps. Never use your hands to touch the radioactive source directly.

• Sources should be kept away from the body, especially the eyes, and should not be pointed to anybody.

• Sources should be stored in a suitable lead container and kept locked when not in use.

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• Warning signs should be labelled on both the containers and the storage room.

• Wash your hands thoroughly after conducting experiments.

• Report to the Radiation Board of the Department of Health immediately if the source is lost or is damaged.

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In medicine

• During a radioactive medical treatment, both the patient and the radiotherapist should be protected from over exposure to radiation.

The radiotherapist works behind a lead shield when the patient is undergoing treatment.

The diagnosis room for radiotherapy is a controlled area.