Reply #137: well not to sound patronizing [View All]

But radiation is a term describing things that radiate. UV-radiation, as well as gamma radiation, and X-ray radiation are forms of light. So are radio waves. The atmosphere (mostly) protects us from this sort of radiation coming at us from the sun. This sort of radiation causes free-radicals to form, and is, amnog other things, why CFCs are REALLY bad chemicals.

Nuclear radiation on the other hand descibes things flying out of an atom (electrons or helium atoms). That process also creates gamma radiation (which is a very high frequency form of light). All the nuclear radiation processes are bad when you are close to them. When you have a contained nuclear reactor in a first world country it will not raise the background radiation levels.

Ultraviolet radiation is like a high frequency version of purple light. It causes cancer. Gamma radiation, which is the light portion of what comes out of, say, plutonium, would skip cancer altogether and kill you.

Speaking of, if the nuclear power plant were really "leaky" everyone who worked there would either be on their deathbed with cancer, or just plain dead.