Ionizing Radiation Exposure

In our everyday lives, we are exposed to low amounts of background radiation. A round-trip across the United States on an airplane exposes us to about 5 millirem of radiation, and the natural production of radon gas in our homes exposes us to about 200 millirem of radiation per year.

The good news is that there is little effect to our overall health from such low doses of radiation. However, when larger amounts of exposure take place, even if only for a short period, radiation poisoning, cell damage, and even death may occur.

The scientific community has carefully researched and determined these side effects for the following doses of radiation exposure:

To learn more about Ionizing Radiation visit our Ionizing Radiation Safety Online Training web page.