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Answer to Careers Using Ionizing Radiation
There are many professions
involved in the safe and beneficial use of radiation, including doctors, engineers,
researchers, and emergency response personnel. A radiobiologist
works in a specialized branch of biology that studies the effects of ionizing
radiation on cells and organisms. They help us understand how radiation can cause
cancer and genetic effects. A radiochemist uses a
combination of standard chemistry techniques and advanced radiation measurement
techniques to determine the presence of individual radionuclides at extremely
low levels. Someone who specializes in the procurement, compounding, quality control
testing, dispensing, distribution, and monitoring of radiopharmaceuticals is called
a nuclear pharmacist. There are many emergency
response professional who are specifically trained and prepared to respond
to radiological emergencies. A radioecologist is
someone who helps determine how radioactive material is transported through the
physical environment and through ecosystems. The information they provide can
be critical is setting safe clean-up levels at contaminated sites. A health
physicist, which is a term that originated with the Manhattan Project,
provides the practical means for protecting workers, the general public, and the
environment from harmful radiation exposures. They can be found in nuclear power
plants, nuclear submarines, hospitals, and other places. A person who assists
with patient diagnoses and treatment, when the use of radiological examination
and treatment are appropriate, is called a nuclear medicine
physician. A physician, or radiologist, specializes
in the use of radiant energy for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Nuclear
engineers work to ensure that the reactor core is configured and assembled
correctly to use the nuclear fuel most efficiently and safely while producing
energy.
For more information, visit our Radiation Top Page.
National Safety Council
1025 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 1200,
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 293-2270 (tel); (202) 293-0032 (fax)
