Anna’s Life

by:  Lettuce Wrap

Radiation Doses From Things Around Us

Did you know…

• Foods that are rich in potassium like fruits, beans, lentils, vegetables, and some whole grains expose us to radiation as potassium decays? Less than 1/4 of one percent of the potassium in foods we eat is radioactive.  The food we eat exposes us to about 40 millirem of radiation each year.
• If you live near a nuclear power plant, you’ll receive about .009 millirem of radiation each year.
• Smoke detectors save lives, but they also expose us to radiation because they contain a tiny amount of americium, a man-made radioactive element.  When smoke blocks the radiation emitted by the americum, a sensor sounds the alarm.  A smoke detector exposes us to less than a millirem of radiation each year.
• Smoking 1 1/2 packs of cigarettes a day can result in exposure to 1,300 millirem of radiation per year.  Tobacco has a high concentration of polonium-210, a naturally occurring radioactive element.
• Flying in an airplane reduces the thickness of atmosphere shielding you from cosmic sources of radiation, including our sun and cosmic rays.  You receive about 1 millirem of radiation for each 1,000 miles you fly.  If you flew the Space Shuttle, you’d receive more radiation:  between 433 millirem and 7,864 millirem depending on the duration of your mission.
• A miner works underground, closer to the elements that decay under the earth’s surface.  A uranium miner, because he’s mining a radioactive element, may receive upwards of 300 millirem per year. 
• A member of an airline crew receives about 200 millirem a year on the job.
• A chest x-ray only gives about 25 millirem
• Dental x-rays give 25-35 millirem/occurrence
• Dental x-rays give more does also because they are not calibrated as often as x-ray equipment.

Of course, these are just a few ways we receive radiation exposure often without even realizing it.

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