In which units is radioactivity measured?
Martina Feichter studied biology with an elective subject pharmacy in Innsbruck and also immersed herself in the world of medicinal plants. From there it was not far to other medical topics that still captivate her to this day. She trained as a journalist at the Axel Springer Academy in Hamburg and has been working for since 2007 - first as an editor and since 2012 as a freelance writer.
More about the experts All content is checked by medical journalists.
Radioactivity is measured in the unit Becquerel (Bq). It indicates the number of atomic nuclei that have decayed per unit of time. One becquerel corresponds to one decay per second.
How strong radioactive rays can damage an organism depends, among other things, on their energy content. This is given in gray (Gy). The unit Sievert (Sv) also expresses the absorbed dose of ionizing radiation - but here combined with guide values for tissue sensitivity, as defined by the International Commission on Radiation Protection for every organ and tissue in the body.
| “Previous question | " Overview | " next question |
