Short answers, pulled from the story.
Ionizing radiation refers to high-frequency electromagnetic waves or particles that carry enough energy to strip electrons from atoms. Ernest Rutherford ranked radioactive emissions by their ionizing power in 1899 and named the most potent type alpha.
Alpha particles consist of two protons and two neutrons bound together as a helium-4 nucleus ejected during radioactive decay. Beta particles are high-speed electrons or positrons emitted when certain nuclei undergo beta decay and penetrate further than alpha particles but less deeply than gamma radiation.
Ionization breaks chemical bonds to produce highly reactive free radicals that react with neighboring materials long after radiation exposure ends. Ozone cracking of polymers exemplifies how ionized air creates destructive chains of chemical reactions while optical materials deteriorate under intense ionizing radiation.
Deterministic effects arise from killing or malfunctioning cells following high doses resulting in radiation burns and acute sickness. Stochastic effects involve cancer development in exposed individuals or heritable diseases passed to offspring through mutation of reproductive germ cells.
The global average human exposure reaches approximately 3 millisieverts annually with 80% originating from natural sources. Radon-222 gas seeps continuously from bedrock accumulating in poorly ventilated houses to become the largest cause of lung cancer among non-smokers.