Radioactive compounds are extremely safe to use when necessary measures are taken. But what if they come into the environment uncontrollably? Then it is critical to figure out how much radiation people may have absorbed. Unfortunately, the average person lacks a radiation dosímetro personal.
Ionizing radiation is everywhere around us. It comes from deep space, the Sun, and is emitted by rocks, construction materials, and even human bodies. It is successfully employed in science, medicine, and industry, particularly in the energy sector. However, when natural forces damage a reactor’s protective architecture or as a result of human neglect, the intensity of the radiation can go high.
Emergency dosimeter is concerned with ways of measuring radiation doses that are improvised but reliable enough for medical needs. During the early stages of its development, bricks or roof tiles collected from buildings in a high-risk area were studied. Emergency dosimetry is becoming more personal these days, with an emphasis on using objects that individuals carry with them all the time, as these are subjected to the same radiation exposure as their owners.
For example, a smartphone can be used as an emergency dosimeter. Unfortunately, it does not work as a layperson would assume in this role. Because certain of the components of a smartphone has good dosimetric qualities, it is possible to evaluate the radiation dose with confidence.
These compounds must be evaluated using specific laboratory equipment. To retrieve the material filling the microscopic resistors, the display must be damaged and the microscopic resistors carefully dismantled and destroyed. Preparation is time-consuming, calling into question the method’s utility in the event of a real radiation catastrophe, particularly one on a big scale.
Furthermore, denying a person in danger of a tool that can be used to summon help for themselves or others, contact family, or obtain information about the current situation is a bad and perhaps deadly concept. Because destroying a valuable and useful gadget does not appear to be the best answer, experts from the PAS’s Institute of Nuclear Physics decided to examine which of the materials readily available to everyone may fit the criteria of emergency dosímetro personal.
Carry a few unpacked painkillers with you if you find yourself in a radiation emergency, especially in your pocket where they will be protected from the harmful effects of daylight. It’s a minor detail, but in an emergency, it will allow medical staff to assist you more effectively.
