Which term describes a hazardous condition caused by radioactive material that is inside the body?

Which term describes a hazardous condition caused by radioactive material that is inside the body?

• A. External hazard
• B. Internal hazard
• C. Environmental hazard
• D. Surface hazard

Answer: (B)

Internal hazard describes a radioactive condition where the material is inside the body. When radioactive substances are inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed through skin, they can lodge in organs and tissues and emit radiation from inside, delivering a dose directly to internal cells and increasing the risk of tissue damage or cancer. This is different from external hazard, which comes from radiation sources outside the body, or from environmental and surface hazards, which involve contamination in the surroundings rather than inside a person. Alpha emitters, for example, are especially dangerous internally because they cause significant damage to nearby tissues once ingested or inhaled, even though they’re not as dangerous externally. Controlling internal hazards involves preventing uptake, using appropriate PPE and procedures to avoid inhalation or ingestion, and performing decontamination and internal monitoring to assess and reduce internal contamination.

Internal hazard describes a radioactive condition where the material is inside the body. When radioactive substances are inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed through skin, they can lodge in organs and tissues and emit radiation from inside, delivering a dose directly to internal cells and increasing the risk of tissue damage or cancer. This is different from external hazard, which comes from radiation sources outside the body, or from environmental and surface hazards, which involve contamination in the surroundings rather than inside a person. Alpha emitters, for example, are especially dangerous internally because they cause significant damage to nearby tissues once ingested or inhaled, even though they’re not as dangerous externally. Controlling internal hazards involves preventing uptake, using appropriate PPE and procedures to avoid inhalation or ingestion, and performing decontamination and internal monitoring to assess and reduce internal contamination.