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Radiation Safety Guidelines: Alpha, Beta, Gamma

Learn essential rules to stay safe from radiation exposure including energy thresholds, penetration depths, and dose rates for alpha, beta, and gamma particles. Understand the importance of shielding and precautions in various scenarios.

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Radiation Safety Guidelines: Alpha, Beta, Gamma

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  1. Radiation Safety Rules of Thumb

  2. Alpha Particle • An alpha energy of at least 7.5 MeV is required to penetrate the protective layer of the skin (0.07mm).

  3. Beta Particle • A beta energy of at least 70 keV is required to penetrate the protective layer of the skin (0.07mm).

  4. Beta Particle • The average energy of a beta-spectrum is approximately one-third the maximum energy.

  5. Beta Particle • The range of beta particles in air is about 12 ft per MeV. (e.g. The maximum range of P-32 betas is: 1.71 MeV x 12 ft/MeV ≈ 20 ft)

  6. Beta Particle • The skin dose rate from a uniform thin deposition of 1 μCi/cm2 is about 9 Rem/hr for energies above 0.6 MeV.

  7. Beta Particle • For a beta emitter point source, the dose rate in rem/hr at one foot is approximately 300 x Ci where Ci is the source strength in curies. • This calculation neglects any shielding provided by the air, which can be significant.

  8. Gamma & X-Ray • For a point source gamma emitter with energies between 0.07 and 2 MeV, the exposure rate in R/hr at 1 foot is approximately 6CEn, where C is the activity in curies; E is the energy in MeV; and n is the number of gammas per disintegration.

  9. Gamma & X-Ray • Gammas and x-rays up to 2 MeV will be attenuated by at least a factor of 10 by 2 inches of lead.

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