X rays and gamma rays, unlike radio waves, are dangerous because they carry a great deal of energy. Since XRF analyzers emit gamma rays, XRF analyzers can be dangerous to their users and to those in the direct path of the analyzer’s emissions if the analyzer is not used properly.
The very reason that X rays are useful in measuring levels of different elements makes them dangerous to our bodies. Gamma and X rays are forms of ionizing radiation. Radiation that has enough energy to eject electrons from electrically neutral atoms, leaving behind charged atoms or ions, is known as ionizing radiation.
The result of ionization is the production of negatively charged free electrons and positively charged ionized atoms. There are four types of ionizing radiation that can be classified into two groups:
1. Photos, such as gamma and X rays, and
2. Particles, such as beta particles (positrons or electrons), alpha particles (similar to helium nuclei), and neutrons (particles with zero charge, electrically neutral).
All types of ionizing radiation can remove electrons. Ionized atoms, regardless of how they
were formed, are much more active chemically than neutral atoms. These chemically active ions form compounds that interfere with the process of cell division and metabolism. Also, reactive ions can cause a cascade of chemical changes in the tissue.
Chemical and physical changes from exposure of humans to ionizing radiation can lead to a variety of cancers. The degree of damage suffered by an individual exposed to ionizing radiation is a function of several factors:
· Type of radiation involved;
· Chemical form of the radiation;
· Intensity of the radiation flux (related to the amount of radiation and distance from the source);
· Energy;
· Duration of exposure.
Fortunately, the amount of radiation involved with any of the XRF analyzers is small and, with proper use, will expose the lead-based paint inspectors to very low amounts of radiation. However, lead inspectors should understand the overall health effects of radiation and, with that knowledge, strive for the safest possible use of the instrument.
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