Sources of radiation
Background radiation from natural and man-made sources is around us all the time and there is little we can do to avoid it.
Natural sources
Most background radiation comes from natural sources, including the ground, the air, building materials and food. Radiation is also found in the High energy rays produced by stars. from space.
Some rocks contain radioactive substances that produce a radioactive gas called radon. The left-hand pie chart shows the average contribution of these different sources to our natural background radiation.
Artificial radiation
There is little we can do about natural background radiation. However, human activity has added to background radiation by creating and using artificial sources of radiation. These include radioactive waste from nuclear power stations, radioactive Radioactive dust produced by an explosion or accident that falls to the ground. from An explosive device used as a weapon. The most deadly and destructive weapon developed by humankind. testing and medical X-rays.
| Source | Radiation |
| X-rays | A form of radiation we encounter when when going through security by air or have an X-ray in hospital |
| Nuclear missiles | Bombs have been exploded by man, releasing radiation into the environment |
| Nuclear power | Nuclear power stations have released radiation into the atmosphere |
| Source | X-rays |
|---|---|
| Radiation | A form of radiation we encounter when when going through security by air or have an X-ray in hospital |
| Source | Nuclear missiles |
|---|---|
| Radiation | Bombs have been exploded by man, releasing radiation into the environment |
| Source | Nuclear power |
|---|---|
| Radiation | Nuclear power stations have released radiation into the atmosphere |
Artificial sources account for about 15 per cent of the average background radiation dose. Nearly all artificial background radiation comes from medical procedures such as receiving X-rays for X-ray photographs.
