The Importance of a Geiger Counter - Technology

If history has demonstrated anything, it is that accidents and natural disasters are frequent and unpredictable. In recent times a new variety of human catastrophe has demonstrated that mankind's mastery of science and technology is not without its limits. I refer to nuclear disasters of the kind which occurred in Chernobyl and Fukushima.

While radioactive contamination caused by atomic warfare, such as Hiroshima, are probably a thing of the past, accidents related to nuclear power generation are much more likely and can have many causes. Such accidents are particularly dangerous because nuclear contamination can spread quickly with effects that may not be visible for many years. Few countries are fully prepared to deal with this kind of disaster, usually leaving private citizens the task of personal nuclear radiation protection.

This is why a Geiger counter is so important for individuals who need to protect themselves and their families from dangerous nuclear ionizing radiation. Aside from emergency or security situations, the Geiger counter has numerous other uses in fields such as health physics, scrap metal processing, commercial mining and nuclear physics. The small hand held radiation detector is readily available, inexpensive, and definitely worth the investment.

For those unfamiliar with the device, a Geiger counter is a kind of radiation detector used to measure ionizing radiation in the form of alpha particles, beta particles or gamma rays. Also known as a Geiger-Mller counter, the device works by generating and measuring an electrical pulse as atomic particles pass through its gas-filled tube, a tube appropriately called a Geiger-Mller tube.

Radiation exposure happens every day and we are all subject to it. Radiation has natural as well as man-made causes. Some natural radiation sources are cosmic rays from the sun, terrestrial radiation from soil, water and even vegetation, typically in the form of Potassium-40, Carbon-14 and Lead-210. Also, as demonstrated at Fukushima, nuclear contamination can happen due to natural hazards, such as earthquakes, floods and fire.

When it comes to man-made radiation causes, the Chernobyl accident is a perfect example of how a nuclear catastrophe can adversely affect the lives of millions of people, both in the immediate area, and at great distance from the accident site. Today, Chernobyl is a ghost town. The buildings are intact, but inside they carry the memory of the people who used to live or work in them and the speed at which they were evacuated. After more than 20 years, the radiation levels have decreased, and the city can be visited, of course only when equipped with a Geiger counter, since more than a few hours spent there can have negative effects on one's health. In the safest areas, the radiation levels are of about 22 micro-roentgens, as opposed to the usual 14.

All in all, a Geiger counter is a crucial device to be used in all nuclear contamination situations. Moreover, it is an essential part of any thinking person's survival kit. For now, with prices for such instruments still reasonable, it makes sense to invest in one before the unexpected happens and it's too late.

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