Best Radiation Detector for Personal Use

What is radiation?

Radiation is a source of energy, including vacuum, is used to transmit radiation through a material. One of the most well-known types of radiation is sunlight. Radiation includes sound, light, and both.

Types of radiation

Beta particles

These are fast-moving electrons emitted by radioactive elements. They penetrate the skin but can be easily shielded by using few millimeters of wood or aluminum. Beta-radioactive substances are also safe if kept in appropriate sealed containers.

Gamma rays

These are high-energy electromagnetic waves, emitted in many radioactive decays and are highly penetrating. Gamma rays are the main hazard to people. All of us receive about 0.5-1 mSv per year of gamma radiation from rocks, and in some places, much more.

X-rays

Virtually identical to gamma rays, X-rays are ionizing electromagnetic waves. They are not nuclear in origin. They are produced artificially and on demand rather by inexorable physical processes. High exposure to X-rays is extremely dangerous because of its high energy and ionizing capacity.

Why do you need a radiation detector?

In most countries the current maximum permissible dose to radiation workers is 20 mSv per year averaged over five years, with a maximum of 50 mSv in any one year. Though low-level exposure to radiation is not life threatening but you need to make sure that the exposure is indeed safe.

The main problem with radiation is that it can’t be seen or felt, it manifests itself in the form of ill-effects ranging from mild nausea to certain death.

People receive some small doses of radiation from natural sources every day which do not harm our bodies. But when the radiation level increases due to some causes, it becomes dangerous as it can change the state of atoms of our cells. Nowadays a lot of places are contaminated with radionuclides due to human activities.

To measure the amount of radiation in your environment and protect you from its negative effects, you need specialized equipment. There are several inexpensive radiation detectors on the market, but not all of them are appropriate for use in your home. Some particular radiation detectors can only protect you from a specific range of radiations; they cannot guarantee complete safety for you and your surroundings.

The top radiation detector for use at home
It is strongly advised to get a small household dosimeter. It is widely used for radiation measurement in industrial and medical activities as well as for human radiation protection.

There are a wide variety of brands and types of radiation detectors available in USA and the decision on which one to buy can be a complex one. Typically radiation detectors will cost anywhere between $100 to $250,000 depending on your specific application, desired level of accuracy and the quality of the detector.

If for personnel safety, what is the anticipated annual dose rate for you or your radiation worker? If it is to be used by a radiation worker then the maximum limit is 20 mSv/annum. However, good practise would typically dictate that you should ensure that a far lower dose than this is received. If you are anticipating approaching this level or the environment is one where there is a risk of higher exposure, then a radiation detector where you can instantaneously check the dose rate would be recommended over a passive detector.

Portable / Handheld Instruments
The Geiger-Mueller (GM) detector is a common portable instrument choice for a general laboratory radioactive material survey.

Modernized Geiger counters for personal radiation detection