Why is radiation detection important?

Answer 1

There are a number of reasons that radiation detection is important. The primary one has to do with exposure to radiation by radiation workers and others. If we have the proper detection equipment and use it appropriately, we know what's going on radiation wise and can plan accordingly. That will allow us to keep folks from getting zapped excessively, and that's very important to everyone concerned. It's for sure that we need radiation detectors around nuclear reactors to aid in early warnings that something is wrong. Any place that works with nuclear materials better have detectors operating.

We also use radiation detection equipment to find "hot spots" and locate things we need to get bagged and tagged. There are still some sites where some radioactive materials have gotten "loose" and need to be recovered. In the lab, we need to identify different types of radiation and the energies associated with it, and this will let us identify which radioisotopes are emitting the radiation. This is good stuff to know if an investigator is attempting to find out what materials or substances are in a sample.

There are a number of other uses for radiation detection equipment, but the primary ones have to do with protecting people who work with radioactive materials, and with having detectors at entrances and exits to nuclear facilities to prevent nuclear materials from coming in or going out. As an aside, but directly related, a worker in a facility that had nuclear materials in it set off detectors when he was coming in to work. These detectors were working properly, and it was determined in follow up investigations that the individual was being exposed to radon at home! It was a nice catch by the nuclear monitoring team.