In public health care, radiation can be used to examine and treat patients. Examinations are X-ray or isotope examinations. In examinations or procedures that use radiation, care is taken to ensure that radiation exposure to the patient is kept to a minimum. In treating cancer, large doses of radiation are used to destroy diseased tissue.

In industry, radiation is beneficial in quality control of materials, measuring the level of containers, or monitoring the thickness or consistency of paper, for example. Devices which monitor industrial processes consist of radiation sources and detectors. When the material between the radioactive source and the detector changes thickness or density, the level of radiation detected also changes. The process can be controlled by weakening or strengthening the signal from the detector.

Industrial radiography is a method of non-destructive testing, used to check for flaws in metal structures and welding seals, among others. The principle is the same as in medical imaging: radiation passes through the object to be tested and exposes the X-ray film placed behind it. Dark patches in the developed film reveal flaws. Radiography devices create radiation using either X-ray machines, or for thicker material, a gamma source or linear accelerator.

Radioactive isotopes are used as tracers in many biochemical and physiological examinations. The path of material marked with tracers is monitored with an activity determination. Radioactive isotopes of carbon and hydrogen can be used to examine the path of nutrients into plants, for example.

Practical applications for non-ionising radiation are, among others, lasers, microwave ovens, solariums, mobile telephones, MRI devices in the medical field, and industrial heaters.

Uses of radiation and their comparative portions. Radiation is used in about 1500 locations and 9000 individual radiation sources or devices are in use. Dental X-ray machines are not included in these figures. There are about 5000 of these used in 2000 locations.