events
Goiânia accident: A radioactive object is stolen from an abandoned hospital in Goiânia, Brazil, contaminating many people in the following weeks and causing some to die from radiation poisoning.
Related Wikipedia articles
Goiânia accident
1987 radioactive contamination incident in Brazil
The Goiânia accident was a radioactive contamination accident that occurred on September 13, 1987, in Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil, after an unsecured radiotherapy source was stolen from an abandoned hospital site in the city. It was subsequently handled by many people, resulting in…Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
Radioactive decay
Emissions from unstable atomic nuclei
Radioactive decay is the process by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by radiation. A material containing unstable nuclei is considered radioactive. Three of the most common types of decay are alpha, beta, and gamma decay. The weak force is the mechanism that is…Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
Goiânia
Capital city of Goiás, Brazil
Goiânia is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian state of Goiás. With a population of 1,536,097, it is the second-largest city in the Central-West Region and the 10th-largest in the country. Its metropolitan area has a population of 2,890,418, making it the 12th-largest…Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
Acute radiation syndrome
Medical condition caused by exposure to high levels of ionizing radiation
Acute radiation syndrome (ARS), also known as radiation sickness or radiation poisoning, is a collection of health effects that are caused by being exposed to high amounts of ionizing radiation in a short period of time. Symptoms can start within an hour of exposure, and can…Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)