Background Radiation (GCSE Physics)

Background Radiation

Background Radiation Sources

• Background radiation is all around us. In the air around us, there is always a low level of background radiation. This radiation will comes from various sources.
• Background radiation can come from natural sources. Rocks are a natural source of background radiation, whilst cosmic rays can bring background radiation from space. Food and drink can even be natural sources of background radiation. The unstable isotopes in these sources will lead to the background radiation.
• Background radiation can come from man-made sources. Sometimes, the background radiation can come from a man-made source. These sources tend to be from nuclear weapons testing and nuclear accidents. Although these are very dangerous sources of unstable isotopes, they only make up a small amount of all background radiation. They can also come from medical equipment, such as X-rays.