Background Radiation
- It is important to remember that radiation is a natural phenomenon
- Radioactive elements have always existed on Earth and in outer space
- However, human activity has added to the amount of radiation that humans are exposed to on Earth
- Background radiation is defined as:
The radiation that exists around us all the time
- There are two types of background radiation:
- Natural sources
- Man-made sources
Background radiation is the radiation that is present all around in the environment. Radon gas is given off from some types of rock
- Every second of the day there is some radiation emanating from natural sources such as:
- Rocks
- Cosmic rays from space
- Foods