The deposit, absorption, or adsorption of radioactive material on or by structures, areas, personnel, or objects is called?

• A. Contamination
• B. Decontamination
• C. Radiation
• D. Pollution

Answer: (A)

Contamination is the presence of radioactive material where it shouldn’t be, either deposited on surfaces or absorbed into materials or people. That exactly matches the description: radioactive material deposited on structures, areas, personnel, or objects, or absorbed/adsorbed by them. It refers to the material being physically present and potentially transferable, which is what the term conveys in health physics.

Decontamination is the process of removing that contamination, not the state itself. Radiation is the energy emitted by radioactive sources, not the material being present on surfaces or inside people. Pollution is a broader, less precise term that can apply to many pollutants, not specifically radioactive contamination.