Difference between revisions of "Non-Ionizing Radiation"
Jotagiraldez (talk | contribs) |
(adding category) |
||
| Line 20: | Line 20: | ||
[[Ionizing Radiation]] | [[Ionizing Radiation]] | ||
| + | |||
| + | [[Category:Radiation]] | ||
Latest revision as of 15:45, 18 January 2012
Definition
Non-ionizing radiation or non-ionizing radiation refers to any type of electromagnetic radiation that does not carry enough energy per quantum to ionize atoms or molecules — that is, to completely remove an electron from an atom or molecule. Instead of producing charged ions when passing through matter, the electromagnetic radiation has sufficient energy only for excitation, the movement of an electron to a higher energy state. Nevertheless, different biological effects are observed for different types of non-ionizing radiation.
Non ionizing radiation are: Near ultraviolet , visible light, infrared, microwave, radio waves, and low-frequency RF (long-wave).
Health risks
Non-ionizing radiation can produce non-mutagenic effects such as inciting thermal energy in biological tissue that can lead to burns.
In terms of potential biological effects, the non-ionizing portion of the spectrum can be subdivided into:
The optical radiation portion, where electron excitation can occur (visible light, infrared light) The portion where the wavelength is smaller than the body, and heating via induced currents can occur (MW and higher-frequency RF) The portion where the wavelength is much larger than the body, and heating via induced currents seldom occurs (lower-frequency RF, power frequencies, static fields).
On the moon
The light is very intense on the moon surface and it can produce burns. Without special shielding (polarized glass as an example) plants could receive an increased amount heat and die.
