The transmission or emission of energy from a source through the propagation of particles or waves via a medium (whether material or space) is known as radiation. This radiation may be categorized as either ionizing, with an energy of more than ten eV, or non-ionizing, with an energy of less than 10 eV.
Radiation may be generated from a variety of sources, both natural and human-made. The most important natural source of radiation is the cosmic radiation. This form of radiation is produced by two sources, the sun, and space. The sun is a continuous source of radiation entering the world’s atmosphere. The fusion processes ongoing on the sun generate high energy radiation that travels to the earth as particles (mainly the free protons). They reach the earth through the solar winds. However, the radiation emitted by the deep space is stronger than the solar radiation and is less frequent.
Another natural source of radiation is the drinking water. This water absorbs radiation from the natural sources, such as soil and rocks. The natural gas utilized for cooking or heating also contains trace amounts of radiation. Furthermore, radiation can also be found in soil. The radioactive particles in soil may either be the remaining ones from the original crust of the earth or maybe the absorbed radiation from the cosmic rays. Another natural source of radiation is lightning.
Among the artificial sources, the television is a huge source of radiation. Also, the screens of the computers’ monitors generate radiation. However, the televisions that do not have cathode ray tubes do not emit radiation. Moreover, other daily use products, like clocks and cell phones, generate radiation. The radiation produced by cell phones is in the form of waves of radio frequency (RF). These waves are less intense than X-rays and, hence, are less damaging.
Radiation can also be found in medical imaging equipment. Many of the imaging devices used to diagnose various diseases utilize X-rays, which are the most dominant source of radiation. Radiation can also be found in cigarettes in the form of the smoke that the smokers inhale. This is due to the fertilizers used to cultivate the tobacco crops.
