We hope to give you greater understanding of the risks and rewards of radiation in everyday life. You may be surprised to find that while exposure to some forms of ionizing radiation is indeed harmful, many forms are either beneficial or health-neutral. No one lives radiation-free. Naturally occurring radiation surrounds us everywhere. There's cosmic radiation from the sun, and earthly radiation from uranium and other elements in the soil.
Most people think about radiation and safety issues at some time in their lives.
This pamphlet will try to explain a little something about what radioactivity is, how it works, and when it can become hazardous. The AIHA Ionizing Radiation Committee is comprised of industrial hygienists who specialize in the recognition, evaluation, and control of potential radiation hazards. They work for government agencies, hospitals, research labs, universities, consulting firms, and manufacturers. Basically, it is the emission of energy, just as sunlight is the emission of energy in the form of light, and rock bands emit energy in the form of sound. The difference between sunlight or sound and radiation is the ability to ionize things it passes through.