Ph 353U Radiation in the Environment

Examines sources of radiation and the hazards they represent. Students will explore the interaction of radiation with matter, including living tissue, and examine dosage and risk assessment. Topics include: fundamentals of electromagnetic radiation, nuclei and radioactive decay; cosmic background radiation and radon gas; nuclear chain reactions and atomic weapons; nuclear power generation, waste disposal and nuclear disasters; medical x-rays and non-ionizing radiation from microwaves and cellular phones.