Which of the following is NOT a listed radiological exposure pathway?

• A. Inhalation
• B. Ingestion
• C. Radiation Scattering
• D. Absorption

Answer: (C)

Exposure pathways are the routes by which radiation can reach a person. The common ones are inhalation (breathing in radioactive material or gases), ingestion (swallowing contaminated substances), absorption (radiation entering the body through skin or wounds), and external exposure (dose from radiation at or near the body without intake). Radiation scattering is a physical process that changes the direction or energy of photons as they pass through matter; it influences exposure levels but it isn’t itself a named route by which someone becomes exposed. It can contribute to external exposure through scattered radiation, but it isn’t considered a separate exposure pathway like inhalation, ingestion, absorption, or external exposure. So radiation scattering is not a listed radiological exposure pathway.