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In general, beta particles are lighter than alpha particles, and they generally have a greater ability to penetrate other materials. As a result, these particles can travel a few feet in the air, and can penetrate skin.
They can easily penetrate barriers that can stop alpha and beta particles, such as skin and clothing. Gamma rays have so much penetrating power that several inches of a dense material like lead, or even a few feet of concrete may be required to stop them.
Beta radiation can penetrate human skin to the "germinal layer," where new skin cells are produced. If high levels of beta-emitting contaminants are allowed to remain on the skin for a prolonged period of time, they may cause skin injury.
Beta radiation can penetrate human skin to the innermost layer of the epidermis where new skin cells are produced. If beta-emitting contaminants are allowed to remain on the skin for a prolonged period of time, they may cause skin injury.
Beta radiation can penetrate human skin to the "germinal layer," where new skin cells are produced. If high levels of beta-emitting contaminants are allowed to remain on the skin for a prolonged period of time, they may cause skin injury.
Hazards of Beta Radiation. Typical beta particles can travel several millimeters through tissue, but they generally do not penetrate far enough to reach the vital inner organs. Exposure to beta particles from outside the body is normally thought of as a slight hazard.
High-energy beta emitters on or close to the skin can penetrate the skin's outer layer of dead and aging cells to reach the actively dividing cells beneath. These exposures have the potential to cause local skin injuries and effects within the range of the radiation.
Radiation from high-energy beta-emitting radionuclides, on or close to the skin, can penetrate the skin's outer layer of dead and aging cells to reach the actively dividing cells beneath the outer layer.
NOTE: Alpha and beta particles may not have enough energy to penetrate skin or clothing, but if inhaled or ingested, alpha and beta particles can transfer large amounts of energy to surrounding tissue and damage cells.
beta and gamma radiation can penetrate the skin and cause damage to cells inside the body; alpha radiation will damage cells if the radioactive source has been breathed in as a...