Uses of radiation

The dangerous aspects of radiation come from the alteration and destruction of cells within our bodies. One might think that nuclear power plants present a major source of radiation that we encounter in our everyday lives, but this is actually not true; the table below shows the most common sources of radiation exposure to an average person (in North America):

 

Table 13.3: Radiation sources for an average North American

Radiation source	% yearly contribution
Radon gas	55 %
Cosmic and terrestrial sources	16 %
Medical uses	15 %
Internal sources	11 %
Consumer products	3 %
Miscellaneous (including nuclear power plants)	< 1 %

 

Exposure to radon gas by far presents the most serious health concern for potential radiation for an average person.

Despite the dangers, radiation in a controlled setting has found a number of useful applications. There are two broad categories of this use.