Time elapsed between exposure to a causative agent (for example radiation exposure) and the appearance of a delayed response in terms of effect (for example clinically manifest cancer).

Probe to measure the absorption of radiation by a particular matter or by the human body, measured per kilogramme per unit of time at a particular location.

Site with the comparatively highest exposure to radiation, chosen as the location for a probe.

Malignant disease of white blood cells, cause widely unknown, incidence frequency 40 - 50 cases per 1 million inhabitants. There are several types with different course of disease and different probability of recovery.

Lifetime risk is a concept of epidemiology meaning the probability of developing a disorder over the course of a usual lifetime.

Alternative

• Epidemiology

Nuclear reactors using natural water H₂O to brake (moderate) fast neutrons and to remove heat; as opposed to heavy-water reactors working with heavy water D₂O (deuterium oxide). Depending on the type, a distinction is made between pressurised water reactors (PWR) and boiling water reactors (BWR).

Alternative

• Pressurised water reactor
• Boiling water reactor

The limit of detection is the value down to which a measurement procedure can detect the measured variable (for example, the specific activities of radionuclides in a sample of soil or grass) with a given certainty. It is a measure of the sensitivity of the chosen measurement method.

For example, if the specific activities of radionuclides are so low that it was impossible to determine them with sufficient certainty, the "limit of detection" is quoted instead.

Maximum value which must not be exceeded.

Direction of the intersection of a geological surface with the horizontal level, in relation to the northern direction.

Measurement taken in the radiation protection laboratory, where radioactive decays are recorded with the help of a liquid scintillation analyser and subsequently the concentration of the dissolved material is calculated.

Comprehensive evaluation of scientific publications on a given topic

Cancer of the liver cells

Dose equivalent for soft tissue, measured at a certain location.

Loosely-ionising or densely-ionising radiation, respectively, differ from each other in the spatial distance of the ionisation processes. These are in the case of densely-ionising radiation (alpha radiation, neutrons) considerably narrower than in the case of loosely-ionising radiation (gamma radiation, X-radiation, beta radiation). A different biological effectiveness is associated with this different ionisation density.

Test conducted in a health physics laboratory to evaluate carrier materials as used in the wipe test, or samples of room air and similar.

Radioactive waste not requiring additional shielding of the containers when being handled.