Term: background radiation
https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.B00580

Definition:
Radiation from any source other than the one it is desired to detect or measure.

Related Terms:
1) radiation (http://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.R05048).

Source: Orange Book, 2nd ed., p. 213 (https://media.iupac.org/publications/analytical_compendium/)

Citation: 'background radiation' in IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; 2025. Online version 5.0.0, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.B00580

License: The IUPAC Gold Book is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike CC BY-SA 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) for individual terms.

Disclaimer: The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) is continuously reviewing and, where needed, updating terms in the Compendium of Chemical Terminology (the IUPAC Gold Book). Users of these terms are encouraged to include the version of a term with its use and to check regularly for updates to term definitions that you are using.