7 Shocking Facts About Nuclear Radiation You Didn’t Know

Nuclear radiation has been talked about more than a few times lately but a lot of what is being said seems to be based more on fear than fact.  How much do you know about nuclear radiation and do you know enough to separate the fact from fiction?  These 7 shocking facts about nuclear radiation that you didn’t know should help you to be surer about the truth of what you hear.

There Are Safe Doses Of Nuclear Radiation

Ideally, you would never want to come into contact with radiation but the world is filled with it.  Luckily, you have to be exposed to a certain amount of nuclear radiation before you will experience any adverse effects so you don’t have to worry about small amounts.  You face radiation on a daily basis.  The rest of the shocking facts tell you exactly where this radiation can come from.

The Sun

The sun puts off radiation and you are more affected the closer you are to it.  This means that if you are flying then you are getting bigger doses of this radiation every time you fly.  You may worry about the nuclear radiation around you but it’s coming from above too.  You can even get this radiation without getting a tan.

The Earth

This radiation comes from below as well.  Uranium and thorium in soil decay and this process releases radon into the air.  This phenomenon actually constitutes more than half of the general radiation that people are exposed to every day.  How many times have you stopped to take a deep breath and realized that you were taking in some of the radiation that surrounds you?  Most people never even think about it.

Smoking

This radon that floats around is absorbed by tobacco leaves.  This is a lot different than breathing it in the air though.  In the form of tobacco this radon is much more concentrated.  Most people don’t realize that this is where tobacco leaves gain their high levels of radiation even before other substances are added.

Brazil Nuts

Brazil nuts hold the strange title of the world’s most radioactive food.  To give you some idea of how much radiation they contain, it is usually about 1,000 times the radiation that you will find in other foods.  Think about that the next time you eat these, if you can bring yourself to do so.

Porcelain Crowns

Did you know that porcelain crowns often have uranium in them?  It’s to make them whiter.  You could have a small source of radiation in your mouth right now.  That’s something to think about.

Other People

It’s shocking to realize that even people put off radiation.  People have naturally radioactive potassium in their bodies so you can get a miniscule amount of radiation just being close to another person.

These are 7 shocking facts about nuclear radiation that you didn’t know.  Nuclear radiation is not nearly as rare as you think.  It’s around you all the time so know that before you jump to any conclusions when you hear a mention of nuclear radiation.

Tom Rheinecker writes on ways to apply for admission to schools offering an LVN to BSN online program.