I am starting this thread with hopes to aid those new in to radiation monitoring. I welcome all our members (even the newbies in to nuclear) to add things herein that they feel are a need to know for other newbies. Thanks in advance!

TERMS

Non-ionizing radiation - any type of electromagnetic radiation that does not carry enough energy per quantum to ionize atoms or molecules—that is, to completely remove an electron from an atom or molecule. Common sources include: WiFi routers, powerlines, cellphones, microwave ovens, sun light and strong magnets like MRI machines.

Ionizing radiation - is radiation composed of particles that individually carry enough kinetic energy to liberate an electron from an atom or molecule, ionizing it. By doing so it has enough energy to ionize atoms and disrupt molecular bonds and because of this ionizing radiation is more harmful to living tissue than non-ionizing radiation. Common sources include: Cosmic rays, Xray machines, CT scans, uranium and radon gas.

Types of ionizing radiation - alpha particles, beta particles, gamma rays which include x-rays.

Isotopes - Variants of a particular chemical element. All isotopes of a given element share the same number of protons in each atom but they differ in neutron numbers.

Geiger Counter - A type of particle detector that measures ionizing radiation. It detects the emission of nuclear radiation. Some models do not detect every type of ionizing radiation. No geiger counter can determine the isotopes being detected, it can only verify that there is ionizing radiation/energy being detected.

Scintillation counter - A detector that not only detects ionizing radiation like a geiger counter (but more sensitive too in its detection) but a scintillation counter can identify the different energy ranges and therefore identify the different isotopes/elements being detected.

Radiation dosimeter - This device will measure an individual's or an object's exposure to radiated energy. These are often used by hospital and nuclear plant workers to monitor their daily/yearly amount of ionizing radiation that they have been exposed to.

KEY INFORAMATION
A geiger counter can't tell the difference between natural stuff our body needs and the bad stuff that mimics them:
Cesium-137 – mimics potassium
Strontium-90 – mimics calcium
Iodine-131 – mimics iodine

http://drsircus.com/medicine/mineral-deficienciesradiation-resistance


MUST HAVE WEBSITES

http://www.EneNews.com - This websites owner finds energy news (often nuclear news but not always) from many sources and then posts a paragraph or so and a link to the original source if you want to research it for more information.

http://www.fairewinds.org - Arnie Gundersen has 40-years of nuclear power engineering experience and turned whistle blower. He attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) where he earned his Bachelor Degree cum laude while also becoming the recipient of a prestigious Atomic Energy Commission Fellowship for his Master Degree in nuclear engineering. He uses this website to teach nuclear energy education to the public. He is a former nuclear industry senior vice president, he holds a nuclear safety patent and was a licensed reactor operator and during his 40 year nuclear power industry career. Arnie also managed and coordinated projects at 70-nuclear power plants in the US. This website has many podcast that will make your jaw drop when you hear about the cover-ups like during the TMI (Three Mile Island accident) and the dangers that face us today.


GREAT LEARNING YOUTUBE LINKS

The True Battle of Chernobyl - This is a documentary (1hr 33 minutes) telling about the single reactor nuclear plant meltdown. Chernobyl was once known as the worlds worst nuclear plant meltdown but Fukushima has easily taken that title. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBAT13Bt9Ic

Radiation causing mutations 1960 - This old video clip that shows the effects of low and high doses of ionizing radiation on fruit flies and plants. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLrMS_zs1kE

Windscale Britains Biggest Nuclear Disaster - This is a documentary (1hr 27 minutes) telling many interesting things about nuclear plants in general, not just Britains. It also tells how nuclear power was sold to the public http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZ4vtUzG6sQ

Do Not Panic - You Will All Die - Cesium 137 - This gives good information about C137.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ABEIQr9CgQ


INTERESTING FACTS
1. Ionizing radiation cause cells to have trouble dividing and since childrens cells continue to divide while there are growing, they are most at risk. The younger the child, the higher the risk.
2. Nuclear power plants use fuel rods. When not being used, they are stored in pools of water called spent fuel pools.
3. History has shown that it repeats itself. During all of these nuclear plant disasters (Windscale, Chernobyl, Three Mile Island, Fukushima and others) the seriousness of the disaster was/is covered up by the government and the government controlled media. This cover-up robbed the public of valuable time to evacuate the radiation.

Another less common type of ionizing radiation is Neutrons, it takes a special type detector to even know if they are present.

A common hypothetical question for training radiation workers to remember the ratio of effects on the body vs types of radiation goes something like this.

Assuming equivalent curie content; You are given an Alpha cookie, a Beta cookie, a Gamma cookie, and a Neutron cookie. You are allowed to throw one away, put one in your pocket, and hold one in your hand, but you must eat the last one. What choices would you make and why?

Have you already seen this previous thread I posted about neutrinos?

Your question above would fit nicely under that post.

Please see here:
https://www.netc.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=75

F.Y.I.

I just updated my original post with this information:

I would throw away the gamma, put the beta in my pocket, hold the alpha in my hand and eat the Neutron

Reasons
Gamma throw away because it is considered the most biological damaging
Beta in my pocket is dangerous but perhaps if i place some lead slugs in my pocket also may deflect and shield some
Alpha in my hand not energetic enough to penetrate the skin, although problematic if ingested or inhaled
Neutron I would eat-Most energetic, smallest mass and moves at such high velocity that the percentages of its impact with critical tissue mass are very low, as at the subatomic/quantum level the body is mostly empty space.

Whats my score?

@RussJensenUtah - I like it, thank you.

Probably the most pricey of the equipment listed is the mass spectrometer, which is the most accurate at telling you want elements and isotopes are present in a sample.

Thank you to user Lee971 for these very useful links:

WIND MAP


JETSTREAM MAP
http://earth.nullschool.net/#current/wind/isobaric/250hPa/orthographic=-86.46,40.46,262

Geiger Counter Numbers, How Bad is Bad? | Modern Survival Blog

http://modernsurvivalblog.com/nuclear/radiation-geiger-counter-the-radiation-network/

Thanks, good info!