Sources and levels

• What is the source of energy from space that reaches Earth?

  Cosmic Rays
• What are the natural sources of background radiation?

  • Cosmic Rays: Energy from space
  • Rocks and Soil: Naturally radioactive materials
  • Radium-226: Emits alpha and gamma radiation
  • Air: Contains gases like radon
• From what sources does background radiation come?

  Natural sources like rocks, soil, and atmosphere
• How do the radiation doses from the different sources compare?

  • Cosmic rays have the highest dose at 1.2 mSv
  • Radon gas is the second highest at 1.1 mSv
  • Rocks and buildings have a dose of 0.5 mSv
  • Food and drinks have the lowest dose at 0.3 mSv
• How does background radiation affect our daily lives?

  It is a constant presence in our environment
• What are the two main sources of background radiation?

  Natural and human sources
• Which source contributes the most to background radiation exposure in the UK?

  Radon gas from rocks
• What are the main sources of radiation exposure shown in the image?

  • Cosmic rays
  • Food and drinks
  • Radon gas
  • Rocks and buildings
• How is background radiation similar to noise in a quiet place?

  Both are constant and always present
• What is background radiation?

  Low-level natural radiation in the environment
• In what context is Radium-226 used?

  In medical treatments
• What gas found in the air contributes to background radiation?

  Radon
• What does the graph show regarding radiation dose?

  Average annual radiation dose from sources
• What is the radiation dose for cosmic rays?

  1.2 mSv
• What unit is used to measure radiation dose in the UK?

  Millisieverts (mSv)
• What is the radiation dose for rocks and buildings?

  0.5 mSv
• What are the human-made sources of background radiation?

  • Medical Scans: X-rays for diagnosis
  • Nuclear Power: Creates radioactive waste
• What is the radiation dose for food and drinks?

  0.3 mSv
• What does nuclear power create that contributes to background radiation?

  Radioactive waste
• What type of radiation does Radium-226 emit?

  Alpha and gamma radiation
• What are the other sources of radiation mentioned besides radon gas?

  Cosmic rays, food, and rocks
• What type of scans are used in medical diagnostics that contribute to background radiation?

  X-rays
• What is the radiation dose for radon gas?

  1.1 mSv
• Why is the data on radiation sources important?

  It helps understand contributions to background radiation
• What do rocks and soil contain that contributes to background radiation?

  Naturally radioactive materials
• How does the radiation from radon gas compare to cosmic rays?

  Radon gas delivers over double the radiation