What's New?
.	Madison Meeting Hotel Rooms - Clarion Added
.	July Journal
.	Stabin Given Nuclear Medicine Society Award
.	Sealed Source Disposal
.	Conference Attendance for Federal Employees
.	Health Effects Meeting
.	June Newsletter
.	Annual Meeting Social Activities
.	New NRC Rules on U and Th Licensing
.	Hodes Award Nominations Request
.	Annual Meeting News
.	New Member Welcome Packet
.	NRC Comment Period on Rulemaking
.	Online Registration for Annual Meeting
.	Radiation Research Society Meeting

Upcoming Events
.	NRC Meeting Webcasts - Live Ongoing
.	58th Annual HPS Meeting 7-11 July 2013 Madison, WI
.	RITN Workshop Mitigation and Treatment of Radiation Damage 31 Jul - 2 Aug 2012 Baltimore MD
.	Radiation Research Society Meeting 15-19 Sept 2013 New Orleans, LA
.	2013 International Radon Symposium 22-25 Sept 2013 Springfield, IL
.	Health Effects of Incorporated Radionuclides 13-17 Oct 2013 Berkeley, CA

18 June 2013

Answer to Question #3047 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"

Category: Radiation Basics

The following question was answered by an expert in the appropriate field:

I understand that some types of radiation can cause nonradioactive materials to become radioactive. Can a medical x ray do this? Or is it only neutrons and alphas? Can betas do this?

Diagnostic x rays, like the chest x rays you mention, do not cause nonradioactive materials to become radioactive.

X rays are a class of photons generated by the dynamics of electrons orbiting an atomic nucleus or slowing down in a medium. Diagnostic x-ray energies are relatively low, and only photons with much higher energies can interact with a nucleus in a way that results in the creation of a radioactive nuclide.

The activation of nonradioactive materials is usually associated with neutron radiation. Electrons (beta particles), helium ions (alpha particles), and photons can all interact with atomic nuclei in ways that lead to the activation of nonradioactive materials, but only if the particles have sufficient energy. Electrons and photons with the necessary energies are found in outer space and can be created in particle accelerators, and alpha-particle interactions with low-atomic-weight nuclei provide a convenient way of producing neutrons in specially designed generators.

See the responses to the following "Ask the Experts" questions for information that is more detailed:

Question #609 and Question #2877 - neutrons and neutron activation
Question #390 - activation of materials by accelerators

James S. Bogard, PhD, CHP
Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Answer posted on 10 October 2003. The information and material posted on this website is intended as general reference information only. Specific facts and circumstances may alter the concepts and applications of materials and information described herein. The information provided is not a substitute for professional advice and should not be relied upon in the absence of such professional advice specific to whatever facts and circumstances are presented in any given situation. Answers are correct at the time they are posted on the Website. Be advised that over time, some requirements could change, new data could be made available, or Internet links could change. For answers that have been posted for several months or longer, please check the current status of the posted information prior to using the responses for specific applications.