Assessment of public perception of radioactivity in Brazil

Abstract

Nuclear energy divides public opinion with its “good” and “bad” applications. Almost immediately after the discovery of radiation, radioactive elements purified by the Curies were used in health treatments, but with the nuclear bombs of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the subject was marked by bad public opinion, being related to death and destruction. Nowadays, nuclear physics is used in many important fields, such nuclear medicine for the diagnosis and treatment of various types of diseases, but the prejudice and lack of knowledge of the general public has not yet improved its “fame”. This work proposes to change a little of this paradigm. Through a questionnaire, the public perception of radioactivity was evaluated. The most important result obtained is that the public is interested in learning about radiation and nuclear energy and is willing to change their negative views.

Keywords

• radiation
• public opinion
• nuclear physics
• nuclear energy
• statistics