| generations ago, gas detectors and radiation detectors | | | | leaked or improperly contained. Proper containment |
| like those made by RAE systems were such a | | | | and monitoring ensures that the irradiation process |
| specific type of safety equipment that very few | | | | makes food safer and keeps workers healthy at the |
| people outside of one or two industries had even | | | | same time. |
| heard about them. Today, however, the use of | | | | • Consumer Manufacturing. Products made |
| atmospheric monitoring equipment is used in so many | | | | from plastics and other materials that can’t be |
| different industries and businesses that almost | | | | heated are often sterilized with a process called |
| everyone has either heard about it or seen it in use. | | | | “cold sterilization” that uses gamma |
| It’s even been featured numerous times in | | | | radiation from Cobalt 60. This process sterilizes |
| movies and television programs highlighting the need | | | | everything from baby powder to cosmetics. Radiation |
| for extreme vigilance concerning atmospheric | | | | is also used to detect leaks in pipes and to check for |
| contaminants. | | | | stress fractures to test the integrity of welds in metals |
| The earliest industries that were concerned with | | | | and other materials. This is particularly important for |
| contamination of the air were mostly research facilities, | | | | manufacturing airplanes, trains and other locomotion |
| since these were the places that these new, highly | | | | devices. |
| volatile compounds were generally developed and/or | | | | Glow-in-the-dark dials on clocks and radios, camping |
| worked with; but today you’ll find atmospheric | | | | lanterns and instrument panels are all manufactured |
| monitoring being used in a variety of different arenas, | | | | using radioactive materials. Workers in facilities where |
| including: | | | | thousands of these products are made on a steady |
| • Industrial Facilities. Industry today uses literally | | | | schedule rely on safety teams that use RAE systems |
| thousands of chemical and hazardous compounds in | | | | to make sure that their working environment is safe. |
| order to manufacture safe, high quality products. | | | | • Medical Facilities. X-rays, CAT scans, PET |
| Industrial sites also require fuels and produce | | | | scans, MRIs and radiation treatment of various |
| by-products that may lead to illness or other problems | | | | cancers all rely on using radioactive materials. In the |
| if not properly monitored and controlled. | | | | great majority of cases, the advantages are orders of |
| • Research Labs. These are still at the | | | | magnitude greater than any risk; however, when there |
| forefront of development and discovery of everything | | | | is a problem with equipment, Minirae technology and |
| from new products to treatments and cures for | | | | other testing procedures keep medical personnel and |
| serious and life-threatening diseases. Working with | | | | patients safer. |
| volatile or radioactive compounds in a highly controlled | | | | In today’s increasingly complex world, the use |
| environment requires proper use of safety equipment | | | | of various forms of gas and radiation contributes to |
| at all times. | | | | the improvement of our health and standard of living. |
| • Irradiation of Foods. Many food products | | | | Making sure that working with these volatile |
| today are irradiated to kill off potentially dangerous | | | | substances doesn’t do more harm than good is |
| microbes, viruses and fungi and to preserve some | | | | why atmospheric monitoring is increasingly important. |
| foods for longer periods of time. While there are a | | | | First response teams, safety personnel, and |
| variety of processes used, each of them use forms of | | | | environmental monitoring teams all rely on this |
| radiation that can be potentially harmful if they are | | | | monitoring to keep things in balance. |