Are We Frying Our Brains with Radiation?
Radiation is exists throughout our universe and we are exposed to many different kinds on a daily basis. Radiation that has the ability to ionize* is dangerous when passed through living tissue because it can actually influence biological functions. Middle school students, Christian Baum and Nate Ackerman of Tuscarawas Valley Local Schools, were concerned about the number of household products that we come into contact with that emit harmful radiation and designed a science fair project to determine which emit the most radiation and should therefore be avoided.
For students interested in physics and chemistry, this could be a great fit! To get started, here are a few everyday sources of radiation to check out...
- Wireless technology - e.g. wireless computer networks
- Microwaves
- Power lines
- Cell phones
- Smoke detectors
- Granite countertops
While there isn't a step-by-step procedure, materials list, etc. we think this project has a lot of merit and definitely warrants more research and consideration!
*Ionization is a process in which an electron is removed from its orbit around the atom's nucleus, resulting in a positively charged ion and a free negative electron." (http://ehs.virginia.edu/ehs/ehs.rs/rs.factsninfo.html)
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