Electrocardiogram: graph of voltage versus time produced by recording the action potentials of the heart over a period of time; the deflections of the graph represent various phases of depolarization and repolarization of the heart.

Electric current generated by induction in a conductible body.

The Effective dose considers the different sensitivity of organs and tissues forstochastic radiation effects. For this purpose the equivalent doses are weighted by tissue weighting factors.

The weighting factors represent the relative contributions of the single organs and tissues to the total health detriment resulting from uniform irradiation of the whole body.

Calculation

The effective dose is sum of the the tissue-weighted equivalent doses in all specified organs and tissues of the body. It is weighted such that the sum of the tissue weighting factors is unity.

Unit

The unit of effective dose is J/kg with the special name sievert (Sv). In radiation protection practice usually fractions of the unit dose are used, e. g. millisievert (mSv), microsievert (µSv).

Feature of bodies consisting in the existence of a weight between the charged bodies. At random one distinguishes between positive and negative electric charges. Charges with the same sign repel mutually, those with unequal signs attract each other. The measure is Coulomb (C).

The electric charge flowing through the cross-section of a conductor, referring to time. The measure is Ampere (A).

Force field forming between electrically charged bodies. According to the size of its electric charge a force acts on a body in the electric field. The measure for strength and direction of this force is the electric field strength E given in Volt per metre (V/m).

Measure for the strength and direction of an electric field. The measure is Volt per meter (V/m).

a method to measure cerebral currents.

One talks about an electromagnetic field if temporally changeable electric and magnetic fields are non-detachably connected with each other at high frequencies.

Elementary particle with a negative electric elementary charge. Electrons orbit the positively charged atomic nucleus. Their number determines the chemical behaviour of the atom.

The electronvolt is a common unit of energy in atomic, nuclear and particle physics. Both the masses of elementary particles and the energies to which they are raised in particle accelerators are given in electron volts (eV).
An electronvolt is the amount of kinetic energy a particle with the elementary charge e gains when it is accelerated by an electric potential difference of 1 volt in vacuum: 1 electronvolt corresponds to 1.602 x 10^-19 joules.

Special sensibility to low- and high-frequency electromagnetic waves. Affected persons perceive e. g. electric currents clearly at lower intensities than the average population.

Description of a subjectively perceived special sensitivity to low- and high-frequency electromagnetic fields. Electromagnetic fields are considered to be the cause of various unspecific symptoms such as headaches, rheumatic pains, insomnia, dizziness, lack of concentration or listlessness. No scientific proof for a causal correlation between the health complaints and the effects of low-frequency or high-frequency electromagnetic fields could be established yet.

Temporally unchanged electric field.

In a cohort study it may be necessary to use additional information for a certain problem which is not available to all of the cohort or which cannot be gathered for all members of the cohort for economical reasons. In this case "cases" and controls are selected from the cohort, for which then (embedded in the cohort-study) further data is collected within the scope of a case-control study, e. g. by interrogations.

According to pragraphn 5 section 26 of the Radiation Protection Act (Strahlenschutzgesetz), a radiological emergency is an event in which ionising radiation can result in significant adverse effects on humans, the environment or property.

The Radiation Protection Act draws a distinction between:

• supra-regional emergencies, whose adverse effects are expected to extend across multiple federal states and/or which are caused by events abroad
• regional emergencies, whose adverse effects are essentially limited to the federal state in which they take place
• local emergencies, whose adverse effects are essentially limited to the local area.

It is not a radiological emergency if events that occur as part of planned activities can be dealt with by protective measures that have already been taken into account and regulated in advance of these planned activities – for example during the licensing of a nuclear facility. Corresponding rules and regulations can be found in the Radiation Protection Act (e.g. section 72) and the Radiation Protection Ordinance (Strahlenschutzverordnung, section 105 onwards).

To the topic

• Responsibilities of the Federal Government, the states and operators in emergency radiological protection

To radiate, to emanate.

Within the scope of the "plan-approval (licensing) procedure" the EIA comprises the identification, description and evaluation of the effects of a project on man, animals, plants, soil, water, air , climate and landscape, including the respective interactions and on cultural assets and real assets.

Projection of the focus of an earthquake area to the earth’s surface.

Epidemiology deals with the investigation of disease distribution in the population and with the risk factors on which this distribution is based. The most frequent study types to investigate the correlation between diseases and risk factors on which they are based are case-control studies, cross-sectional studies and cohort studies.

Sector of science dealing with the distribution of transferable and non-transferable diseases and their physical, chemical, mental and social determinants and consequences in the population.

Epigenetic changes are chemical modifications of the genome and its protein packaging that do not alter the genetic code of the genome (the DNA sequence). However, they determine how the genetic information of the genome is read. In principle, they are not permanent and can be reversed.

Tectonic processes over large areas within the earth’s crust lasting over long periods of time and keeping the natural rock formation intact.

The radioactive decay of radon in air produces further radionuclides known as radon decay products. Like radon itself, radon decay products emit alpha particles and contribute to the dose if they are inhaled together with radon.

The equilibrium factor is defined as the ratio between the total alpha energy emitted by a given mixture of radon decay products in a given volume of air and the total alpha energy that would be emitted by the radon decay products if radioactive equilibrium is assumed between the radon gas and its decay products. Deviations from this equilibrium can occur due to various factors, such as ventilation.

EIRP characterizes the properties of a transmitter. It is based on the transmitter power and the antenna gain. It indicates the total power that would be needed for a (hypothetical) isotropic antenna if it were to produce the same power density as a beam antenna.

Extensive ablation of the earth's crust, e.g. by water or wind.

Minerals and rocks formed from watery solutions due to strong or complete evaporation of the water solvent.

Reusable device to transport cylindrical waste packages.

A radiation protection area, within a control area of a facility, in which the ambient dose rate can exceed 3 millisieverts per hour. Exclusion areas are to be fenced off and clearly and permanently marked. They must also be secured in a manner that prevents uncontrolled access, even by individual parts of the body.

Values of activity and specific activity of radioactive substances according to Annex III Table 1 Columns 2 and 3 Radiation Protection Ordinance. When these values are exceeded, activities with these radioactive substances are subject to monitoring under this ordinance.

Measures to prospect a deposit or to determine the rock features and depositional features of a geological body.

Exposure denotes the totality of all environmental impacts (biological, chemical or physical) to which objects or living organisms, especially humans, are exposed. If the impact is radiation, it is called radiation exposure.

Alternative

• Radiation exposure

Pathway of radioactive substances, starting from the discharge from a facility or installation via a dispersion or transport process to radiation exposure of man.

outside the lungs