Radiation detection is an important part of keeping people safe and healthy. It's impossible to detect radiation with the naked eye, but fortunately, advanced technology has made it possible to identify objects or body parts that are contaminated. There are a variety of instruments and methods used to detect radiation, such as Geiger-Mueller (GM) detectors, dosimeters, topographic meters, RIIDs, and more. A Geiger-Mueller (GM) detector is a common portable instrument option for a general study of laboratory radioactive materials.
GM detectors are capable of detecting alpha, beta and gamma radiation. They are easy to use and can help control radiation levels in the home, medical facility, and work. They also detect the radiation level of items such as clothing, shoes, furniture, dirt, and more. A compact dosimeter is highly recommended for your home.
The dosimeter can measure alpha, beta, x-ray and gamma radiation. They can assess radioactive contamination within food, air and water. Some specialized dosimeters can work via Bluetooth channels and activate your tablet and smartphone on a personal dosimeter. The topographic meter is a portable radiation detector which typically measures the amount of radiation present and provides this information on a numerical display in units of counts per minute, counts per second, or microroentgen (µR) or microrem (µrem) per hour.
Fortunately, these devices allow you to detect radiation and know if your environment makes you vulnerable. An RIID is a radiation detector with the ability to analyze the energy spectrum of radiation, in order to identify the specific radioactive material (radionuclide) that emits the radiation. Photographic film plates can also be used to detect radiation as ionizing particles interact with the film to change the optical density of the film. A Geiger counter (also known as a Geiger-Müller counter) is an electronic instrument used to detect and measure ionizing radiation. It detects ionizing radiation, such as alpha particles, beta particles and gamma rays, using the ionization effect produced in a Geiger-Müller tube, which gives the instrument its name. End-window Geiger counters are still used as a general-purpose portable radioactive contamination measurement and detection instrument. In conclusion, there are many instruments available for detecting radiation.
GM detectors are capable of detecting alpha, beta and gamma radiation while dosimeters measure alpha, beta, x-ray and gamma radiation. Topographic meters provide information on numerical displays while RIIDs analyze energy spectrums to identify radioactive material. Geiger counters detect ionizing radiation while photographic film plates can be used to detect changes in optical density due to ionizing particles.
