Radiation vs. Radioactivity: Knowing the Difference

[Neon Beach]

Energy waves are sometimes referred to as “radiation.” Because the terms “radiation” and “radioactive” sometimes are confused by the public, it's important for you to know the difference between the two.

Even in the tanning industry, terminology matters. Two words (“radioactivity” and “radiation”) are easily confused. Each word has a different meaning.

Radioactivity describes the ability of certain materials to change their nature as they lose or discharge energy. Radiation is discharging energy. (This is what comes out of your tanning equipment.) Unfortunately, both terms have been lumped together and used interchangeably. Let’s broaden the distinction.

Radioactive sources are always natural and are what people associate with nuclear power plants and bombs. The particles of radioactive energy “decay,” that is, they break down and separate from the source material. As the particles break down they radiate (emit or give off) energy. It is important that you remember that your tanning equipment is not radioactive; that is to say, it is not changing its nature as it discharges energy, but your tanning equipment does produce radiation. That's because there are two different kinds of radiation that you must understand: Ionizing and non-ionizing radiation.

Ionizing Radiation
When radiation “ionizes” it separates atoms in its target into into smaller ions. In a nutshell, when ionizing radiation enters a body, it separates things that were not designed to be separated.

Examples of ionizing radiation are UVC light, X-rays, gamma rays and cosmic rays. (That is why x-rays are used in carefully controlled dosages by highly trained technicians.) Indoor tanning units do not emit ionizing radiation. The Earth is well-equipped to filter out ionizing radiation.

You’ll note that UVC light is a form of ionizing radiation, which differentiates it from UVB and UVA light. Some professional hairstyling facilities still use UVC lamps today. They put brushes and combs underneath to kill the germs off those items. Today, UVC light is also used to sterilize water. UVA and UVB don’t have any sterilizing capability.

So don’t get the idea that UV coming out of your tanning equipment is killing germs. Further, even UVC would not clean the lotion and grime left on that equipment that has to be cleaned up between visits by a customer. It is clear now that no UVC is supposed to come out of tanning equipment, and furthermore, that UVA and UVB are on the non-ionizing side of the line. You remember that ionizing radiation separates things that were not designed to be separated (in effect, tearing them up), but what does non-ionizing radiation do?

Non-ionizing Radiation
When non-ionizing radiation gets into a person’s skin, it raises the energy level of that person’s skin cells. When the energy level of those cells is raised, they change their chemical nature. This process is called a photochemical reaction or change.

Think back to your junior high school biology class for a minute. You probably remember talking about photosynthesis: Light came down, got into that plant leaf, raised its energy level, changed its chemical nature, and what did that plant do? It converted carbon dioxide into oxygen.

When light interacts with plants we call it photosynthesis. When ultraviolet light interacts with people it initiates photochemical reactions or changes, or, put simply, tanning and sunburning.

So what’s the result when this process happens to a person’s skin? You guessed it: suntanning and sunburning. It’s your job as a tanning facility operator to teach customers to tan and not burn.

~ International Smart Tan Network Manual