Background radiation

• Background radiation - low-level radiation that's always around us
• Types of sources of background radiation:

  1. Natural sources (rocks, food, cosmic rays, air, building materials)
  2. Man-made sources (nuclear waste, fallout from nuclear explosions)
• Radiation dose - measure of the risk of harm to body tissues due to exposure to radiation
• Radiation does depends on:

  • your location
  • your occupation/job
• Radiation dose is measured in Sieverts, Sv