Hazards of Neutron Emission

• Neutrons, along with protons and electrons, are one of the particles that make up an atom. colorful molecule multicolore image by Ericos from Fotolia.com

  Neutrons, along with protons and electrons, are one of the particles that make up an atom. They have no electrical charge (as opposed to protons, which have a charge of +1). All atoms contain neutrons, except for hydrogen, whose nucleus contains only two protons. Neutrons are used in nuclear energy and nuclear bombs to start the nuclear fission chain reaction. A "fissile" isotope is bombarded with neutrons, which displace the neutrons already contained within, creating a new isotope and emitting more neutrons and energy. The ejected neutrons go on to collide with other isotopes, which in turn absorb those neutrons and give off more neutrons in the chain reaction. The ejection of neutrons is called neutron emission.

Penetration

• Neutron emission, or radiation, can penetrate materials more easily than other kinds of ionizing radiation (radiation above the visible spectrum) such as alpha and beta radiation. This feature makes neutron emission potentially dangerous because it can pass through the skin and become absorbed by tissues in the body.

Dangers of Absorption

• When a neutron collides with an atom in the body, it will very likely be absorbed by that atom, causing a transfer of energy that may go on to ionize (break chemical bonds) other atoms around it, damaging the body tissue. Although the body will usually be able to repair the damage, if the dosage of radiation is too high, the cells may die or become permanently damaged. If the cell DNA is damaged, then there is a risk that it will begin to replicate erroneously and cause cancer. At very high doses, healthy cells may not be able to replicate fast enough to replace the damaged ones and the body may begin to shut down. This condition is called "radiation sickness."

Occurence in the Natural World

• Neutron emission at a level high enough to to be potentially hazardous practically does not occur in the natural world. The huge majority of dangerous neutron emission is caused by nuclear fission in nuclear reactors and atomic bombs. Because the facilities that contain these reactions are well-shielded to protect the outside world, you are only likely to receive a damaging dose of neutron radiation in the event of a nuclear catastrophe.