ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Petkau effect

Have you ever heard of something called the "Petkau effect"? Well, it's a fancy way of describing how dangerous a radioactive substance can be if it stays in your body for a long time.

Radiation is a kind of energy that can harm living things. When it enters our body, it can damage our cells and make us sick. Scientists use a thing called a "dose" to measure how much radiation is in our body.

Now, let's say you get a small amount of radiation in your body. If that radiation doesn't stay in your body for very long, your body can probably handle it and you won't feel sick. But if that radiation stays in your body for a long time, it can add up and become more harmful.

The Petkau effect describes how even small amounts of radiation can be dangerous if they stay in your body for a while. It's named after a scientist named Abram Petkau who discovered this effect in the 1970s.

So, in short, the Petkau effect tells us that even small doses of radiation can be dangerous if they stick around in your body for a long time. It's why scientists and doctors are very careful when it comes to radiation exposure, and why it's important to be healthy and safe around radioactive materials.