Glossary
Absorbed dose The amount of energy deposited in a material by ionizing radiation.
The units of absorbed dose are the gray (Gy) and the rad.
Activity The rate at which radiation is emitted by radioactive material. The units of
activity are the becquerel (Bq) and the curie (Ci).
Airborne radioactive material Any radioactive material dispersed in the form of
dusts, fumes, particulates, mists, vapors, or gases.
Airborne radioactivity area A room, enclosure, or area in which airborne radioactive materials exist in concentrations high enough that an individual present in the
area without respiratory protective equipment could inhale enough radioactivity
to reach a dose of 30 mrem (300 mSv) in one week of work.
Annual limit of intake (ALI) The limit for the amount of radioactive material that
can be ingested or inhaled in one year without exceeding a radiation dose limit.
As low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) Making every reasonable effort to
maintain exposures to radiation as far below the regulatory dose limits as is practical, consistent with the purpose for which the licensed activity is undertaken,
taking into account the state of technology, the economics of improvements in
relation to the state of technology, the economics of improvements in relation
to benefits to the public health and safety, and other societal and socioeconomic
considerations, and in relation to utilization of licensed or registered sources of
radiation in the public interest.
Background radiation Radiation from cosmic sources; naturally occurring
radioactive materials, including radon, except as a decay product of source
or special nuclear material, and including global fallout as it exists in the
environment from the testing of nuclear explosive devices.
Becquerel (Bq) Equal to one disintegration or transformation per second.
Calibration The determination of
(1) the response or reading of an instrument relative to a series of known radiation
values over the range of the instrument, or
(2) the strength of a source of radiation relative to a standard
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
P. A. Karam, Radiological and Nuclear Terrorism,
Advanced Sciences and Technologies for Security Applications,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-69162-2
287
Absorbed dose The amount of energy deposited in a material by ionizing radiation.
The units of absorbed dose are the gray (Gy) and the rad.
Activity The rate at which radiation is emitted by radioactive material. The units of
activity are the becquerel (Bq) and the curie (Ci).
Airborne radioactive material Any radioactive material dispersed in the form of
dusts, fumes, particulates, mists, vapors, or gases.
Airborne radioactivity area A room, enclosure, or area in which airborne radioactive materials exist in concentrations high enough that an individual present in the
area without respiratory protective equipment could inhale enough radioactivity
to reach a dose of 30 mrem (300 mSv) in one week of work.
Annual limit of intake (ALI) The limit for the amount of radioactive material that
can be ingested or inhaled in one year without exceeding a radiation dose limit.
As low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) Making every reasonable effort to
maintain exposures to radiation as far below the regulatory dose limits as is practical, consistent with the purpose for which the licensed activity is undertaken,
taking into account the state of technology, the economics of improvements in
relation to the state of technology, the economics of improvements in relation
to benefits to the public health and safety, and other societal and socioeconomic
considerations, and in relation to utilization of licensed or registered sources of
radiation in the public interest.
Background radiation Radiation from cosmic sources; naturally occurring
radioactive materials, including radon, except as a decay product of source
or special nuclear material, and including global fallout as it exists in the
environment from the testing of nuclear explosive devices.
Becquerel (Bq) Equal to one disintegration or transformation per second.
Calibration The determination of
(1) the response or reading of an instrument relative to a series of known radiation
values over the range of the instrument, or
(2) the strength of a source of radiation relative to a standard
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
P. A. Karam, Radiological and Nuclear Terrorism,
Advanced Sciences and Technologies for Security Applications,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-69162-2
287