Natural Radiation
Natural background radiation comes from three sources: • Cosmic Radiation • Terrestrial Radiation • Internal Radiation Cosmic Radiation: • Cosmic radiation (C.R) comes from extremely energetic particles from the sun and stars that enter Earth’s atmosphere. • They are the nuclei of atoms, ranging from the lightest to the heaviest elements in the periodic table. C.R include high energy electrons, positrons, and other subatomic particles. • Some particles make it to the ground, while others interact with the atmosphere to create different types of radiation. • Radiation levels increase as you get closer to the source, so the amount of cosmic radiation generally increases with elevation. The higher the altitude, the higher the dose. That is why those living at high altitudes receive a higher annual radiation dose from C.R than someone living at sea level (altitude of 0 feet). Cosmic rays come from various places, including the Sun, supernova explosions [a larg...