In recent times, India has been witnessing an exponential increase in the use of radiation and radioactive sources in medical, industrial and research applications, accruing huge societal benefits to the country. The sources used are of various radionuclides in different physical and chemical forms, with their strengths of radioactivity varying from few hundreds of becquerel (one becquerel corresponds to one disintegration or nuclear transformation per second) to billions of becquerel. These sources are handled in a variety of environments — from research laboratories, universities to industries and hospitals. But has anyone wondered about the safety of such usages? Clearly, the...
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