In general use, the act or condition of receiving radiation: external exposure from sources outside the body and internal exposure from material taken in. In strict dosimetry it is also the name of a quantity measured in roentgens, the ionisation produced in air by X or gamma rays. A person exposed to external radiation does not become radioactive; only contamination, meaning the material itself, can be carried away or spread.
He had an exposure in the radiation area, not contamination, so there's nothing to decon, just log the dose.
Also heard as
- radiation exposure
Related terms
Contamination
Radioactive material in a place it is not wanted, such as on surfaces, skin, clothing or inside the body.
Roentgen
A unit of exposure that measures how much X or gamma radiation ionises air.
Absorbed dose
The energy deposited by ionising radiation per unit mass of material, measured in gray.
Dosimeter
A device worn by a person to measure the radiation dose they receive.