Radiation Protection Glossary
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Unsealed Source
With respect to Radiation Protection
, an unsealed source is is a source of Ionising Radiation
in the form of Radioactive
material which is not encapsulated or otherwise contained. The implication is that unsealed radioactive material can move around and if uncontrolled would lead to Contamination
. It should be noted that unsealed sources are used extensively in biological research and medicine. See Open Source
for a related definition, and Sealed
or Closed
Source for alternative types.
Uranium
Uranium is a heavy, metallic, naturally Radioactive
Element
of Atomic Number
92. It has two principle isotope of uranium-235 and uranium-238 ( and very small quantities of Uranium-234). The proportions of natural uranium by weight are about 0.01% Uranium-234, 0.072% Uranium-235, and 99.27% U-238. Uranium-235 is used in the the nuclear industry because it is Fissionable
by Thermal Neutrons. Natural uranium is extracted from uranium ore where it starts life as a processed uranium oxide (Yellow Cake
).
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