A radiation background is radiation of a radioactive origin that is present on Earth from man-made and natural sources. It should be noted that it affects a person constantly. It is impossible to completely avoid radiation. On Earth, life has arisen and is developing with constant exposure. The radiation background consists of such components: radiation from technogenic radionuclides, that is, from artificial ones; radiation from radionuclides that are in the air, the earth's crust and other objects of the environment; space.
Irradiation is internal and external. The latter is caused by sources that are located outside the human body (terrestrial as well as space). Radionuclides, which are located directly in the human body, carry out internal irradiation. The radiation background on the ground is measured in the exposure dose rate.
Due to cosmic radiation, a dose of thirty-five mbar per year receives the majority of the population of our planet. A person has approximately the same volume from sources of natural origin, which are external. From them, the dose of internal exposure is about one hundred thirty-five mber per year on average. Therefore, the total amount of internal and external exposure of a person that comes from natural sources is, on average, about two hundred mber in twelve months.
Additional sources of radiation appeared as a result of the influence of man on the environment that surrounds him, including natural radionuclides, which are extracted in sufficient quantities from the bowels of the Earth along with raw materials for building materials, mineral fertilizers, oil, gas and coal, and so on.
Measurement of background radiation is a very important and responsible procedure. In this case, the zones that are most dangerous for living are identified. Radiation expertise is needed by everyone who cares about their health. When measuring the background radiation, the external gamma radiation is evaluated on the ground; radiation monitoring of food raw materials and food products; control in selected samples of industrial waste; wood, metal and products from it, building materials; control of drinking, industrial water.
Ionizing radiation is called one that is indirectly or directly capable of causing the formation of negatively and positively charged ions (ionization of the environment).
During the entire period of existence of planet Earth, there is ionizing radiation propagating in outer space. Radioactive substances located in the Earth's crust, as well as cosmic rays, are carriers of ionizing radiation of natural origin.
Sources of ionizing radiation are high voltage communication devices , charged particle accelerators, artificial radioactive isotopes, nuclear reactors, x-ray machines, etc. Ionizing radiation, both artificial and natural, can be corpuscular and electromagnetic (quantum or photonic).
All of them have high energy and can cause changes in the biological structures of cells, this can lead to their death.
The radiation background does not have an accurate assessment of the danger, because small doses of ionizing radiation do not cause pronounced shifts that can be objectively recorded. The full effect of the radiation background on the human body has not been elucidated. Absolutely safe can not be considered any volume, including one that is formed due to the radiation background. However, it is practically undetectable and the effect (risk) is very small at low doses.