There is a phenomenon that occurs in the environment when there is a propagation of energy by means of electromagnetic waves that pass through a material; this event is called radiation. Radiation, then, deals with the emission or transfer of electricity through any medium in the form of electromagnetic waves or particles.
Electromagnetic radiation can be classified into: ionizing and non-ionizing.
The former have enough energy to generate ionizations in the atoms present in the matter where it is scattered, an example of this is X-rays.In the latter, they do not have enough energy to unlink the bonds. that hold together the atoms of the medium where it is spread. For example: microwave, radio or TV, etc.
There is a physical phenomenon called radioactivity where certain elements or chemical bodies (known as radioactive) emit radiation that have characteristics capable of reproducing photographic plates, fluorescence, among others.
This represents an important discovery for modern man, since at the same time its effects and applications were discovered, which have been of great use, especially in medicine, industry, agriculture, biology, etc.
The way radiation interacts with matter, gives rise to the following classification:
Alpha radiation: it is the one whose capacity presents limitations when penetrating the matter, even when it presents a lot of energy intensity.
Beta radiation: it is a little more invasive but it does not have much intensity, compared to Alpha.
Gamma radiation: it is the most invasive type of radiation.
The human being is continuously exposed to ionizing radiation, these can come from the same nature or from others that arise from actions made by man himself. Among those found in the environment are: those that come from outer space, those that are found on earth and those that the human body has (isotopes of carbon, potassium). Radiation derived from artificial sources has to do, for example, with radiological exposure for medical purposes.
It should be taken into account that it can be harmful for people to be exposed to radiation for so long, as it can seriously affect health. For example, nowadays the use of the cell phone is almost essential for people, however many specialists consider moderating its use since the radiation that this device emanates is harmful to the human body.
