Can Neutrinos be Harmful?

Most recent answer: 12/10/2012

Q:
How neutrinos can be harmful ? What are the circumstances in which neutrinos can harm humans or even kill them.?
- Nouman Nazim (age 24)
Islamabad
A:
No!   Of all the elementary particles that we know of, neutrinos are the least harmful of them all. Millions of neutrinos coming from nuclear reactions in the Sun pass through our body every day without ill effects. The reason is that their interaction with human tissue is next to zero.  All charged particles, like electrons, protons, etc do interact and in sufficient quantities can be harmful.  Even some neutral particles like gamma rays or neutrons can be harmful since they have stronger interaction rates.

LeeH

(published on 12/10/2012)