Category: radioactivity measuring devices (Geiger counters) and radon detectors.

Geiger counters (or dosimeters, radiometers) also called Geiger-Müller counters are used to measure radioactivity.

The radon dosimeter makes it easy and quick to detect the presence and concentration of radon in the indoor air of a home or workplace.

X-rays and γ (gamma) rays are electromagnetic photon radiation of very high energy and very high frequency.

Radioactivity is also characterized, in some cases, by the production of α (alpha) particles or β (beta) particles also called α rays and β rays.

A gamma ray (or γ ray) is high frequency electromagnetic radiation emitted during the disintegration of an atomic nucleus. Gamma rays are more penetrating than alpha and beta particles, but are less ionizing. They are of the same nature as X-rays but are of different origin and frequency.

Gamma rays are produced by nuclear transitions, while X-rays are produced by electronic transitions usually caused by the high speed collision of an electron with an atom.

α (alpha) particles are emitted by unstable atomic nuclei (uranium, radium, polonium, etc.) and consist of protons and neutrons. Alpha radiation does not penetrate matter or the human body.

β (beta) particles, or β (beta) radioactivity, result from the disintegration of an unstable atom (uranium, tritium, etc.) by the production of high-speed particles such as electrons, for example.

Radon is a gas that does not exist as a stable body and all of its known isotopes are radioactive. Radon is formed by the decay of radium in the radioactive decay chain of uranium and thorium contained in rocks or soil. The health importance of radon is due to its high radioactivity and the fact that it is present everywhere in the atmosphere, it is therefore inhaled. It is often the largest contributor to the dose received by an individual for natural radioactivity, with however strong geographical disparities. It is likely to be inhaled in high doses in poorly ventilated places (housing) in areas where it is particularly present (soils made up of granite and volcanic rocks, etc.).