ACVPM Food Protection Practice Exam

Radiological hazards come from radioactive materials that emit ionizing radiation. The danger isn’t chemical toxicity but radiation exposure that can damage cells and tissues. Heavy metals like lead, mercury, and arsenic are hazardous because of their chemical toxicity, not because they are radioactive. The example listed here includes radioactive isotopes such as strontium-96, iodine-131, and cesium-137, which emit ionizing radiation during decay. These radiological substances pose external and internal exposure risks and require shielding, containment, monitoring, and proper disposal. That combination of radioactivity and exposure risk makes this option the radiological hazard.