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On April 25, the Division of Radiation Safety participated in the NIH Science Day event held in the Natcher Building. Hosting several hundred middle- and high-school students, the NIH Science Day was an event dedicated to promoting the inner scientist within each student. Though the campus was gearing up to host Take Your Child to Work Day the next day, there was plenty of enthusiasm and excitement to go around. 

Exhibitors rolled out their hands-on activities, and attendees jumped from booth to booth to learn about what each one had to offer. In the Radiation Safety booth, there were several consumer products containing naturally-occurring radioactive material on display and students were able to use a Geiger counter to detect the radiation emissions. Once confident in their monitoring capabilities, students were given an opportunity to survey a model laboratory with the Geiger counter, looking for the hidden hot spots of contamination. 

Health physicist Fabrian McCain was an excellent mentor to help attendees learn good monitoring technique, demonstrating the slow pace and close proximity needed in order to find the radioactivity. Radiation Safety is proud to support science exhibits such as NIH Science Day. 

Need a refresher in how to properly detect any potential contamination in your lab? Call 301-496-5774.