British Sign Language Glossaries of Curriculum Terms

BSL Environmental Science Glossary - Irradiation definition

Definition: Irradiation is anything that has been exposed to radiation - people, animals, food etc. Sometimes this can be a good thing but it can also be harmful. For example food processing plants use radiation to kill bacteria in fruit and vegetables that may be harmful if eaten before it is sent to the shops. In hospitals radiation is used to treat cancer - the affected part of the body is treated with radiation (gamma rays) that destroy the cancer cells and thereby reduce the number.

Radiation can also be very harmful - a number of years ago, an explosion in a nuclear power station in Ukraine at Chernobyl resulted in large amounts of radiation being released into the surrounding area; as a result people, animals and plants were all exposed to lethal amounts of radiation.