What is more dangerous to eat ?

[Ylle]

I have an assignment:
What is more dangerous to eat: A alfa-radiation or gamma-radiation? And why?

I'm from Denmark, so I don't know if alfa-radiation and gamma-radiation are the correct words, but I hope you get the idea !


Thank you :D

[Mk]

Its not really eat, its like... absorb? Alpha or Gamma? Alpha is least dangerous, then beta, then gamma, the strongest and most dangerous. Alpha cannot penetrate paper, beta cannot penetrate aluminum foil, and gamma can't penetrate, like several inches of concrete or steel

[Mk]

I was reading about rus/russ on an online dictionary, can you tell me some interesting things about it? I heard it was in Dennmark

[Monique]

Its not really eat, its like... absorb? Alpha or Gamma? Alpha is least dangerous, then beta, then gamma, the strongest and most dangerous. Alpha cannot penetrate paper, beta cannot penetrate aluminum foil, and gamma can't penetrate, like several inches of concrete or steel
No, alpha would be more dangerous when ingested I think. Alpha radiation has the strongest ionizing power, then beta, gamma is the weakest. That is why alpha radiation is stopped by a piece of paper: it easily interacts with atoms, thus dangerous if you ingest it.

[Moonbear]

You shouldn't eat any of them! :yuck:

I'm not sure. Alpha radiation might do more to damage your digestive tract, but then gamma radiation would penetrate furthest and damage a lot more than just the digestive tract. I do know gamma emitters are used in medical diagnostic tests (for example, I-125 or I-133...I can't recall which...is given orally to test for thyroid function), so they can't be too harmful or this wouldn't be a very practical diagnostic.

[Chronos]

Alpha particle exposure is much more damaging than other forms of radiation.
http://wyff-tvhealth.ip2m.com/index.cfm?PageType=ArticleItem&Action=ShowItem&Item_ID=15277&Site_Cat_ID=13

[Monique]

I do know gamma emitters are used in medical diagnostic tests (for example, I-125 or I-133...I can't recall which...is given orally to test for thyroid function), so they can't be too harmful or this wouldn't be a very practical diagnostic.
Gamma emitters are also used as a surgical knife, when focussed in a beam.. gamma emitters are also used for food sterilization.

[Mk]

Gamma emitters are also used as a surgical knife, when focussed in a beam...

Are you sure that isn't a gamma light wave laser?