Which type of radiation can pose a risk of stochastic effects?

Ionizing radiation is known to pose a risk of stochastic effects due to its ability to remove tightly bound electrons from atoms, thereby causing ionization. Stochastic effects are health effects that occur randomly and have a probability of occurring based on the dose of radiation received, without a threshold level of exposure. This means even low levels of ionizing radiation can increase the likelihood of effects such as cancer or genetic mutations over time.

The risk is associated with the energy of the radiation and its potential for causing biological damage at the cellular level. Examples of ionizing radiation include alpha particles, beta particles, gamma rays, and X-rays, all of which can affect DNA and cellular function leading to stochastic health effects.

In contrast, other forms of radiation such as infrared radiation, non-ionizing radiation, and visible light do not have enough energy to ionize atoms and typically do not have the same potential for long-term stochastic effects. While these types of radiation can have their own health effects, they do not operate on the same mechanism as ionizing radiation.