

Radiation and You
Name: _________________________________ Date: _____________
When you think about sources of radiation, you probably think of nuclear power plants. As it turns out, nuclear plants are just one of the many sources of radiation that gets into the environment. Some of these sources may actually be in or near your home.
What is radiation and where does it come from? How much of it do you absorb per year? What levels are considered safe? The answers may surprise you!
- To find out how much radiation you absorb in a year and where this radiation comes from, visit the EPA's Calculate Your Radiation Dose page. Follow the directions at the top of the page. As you complete the activity, fill out this chart:
Radiation Source Radiation Dose
(in mrems)Cosmic radiation (sea level) 26 Extra cosmic radiation from elevation Terrestrial (ground) From food and water 40 From air (radon) 200 Dental crowns Jet travel this year Airport X-rays Camping lanterns Building construction Luminous wristwatch TV watching Computer use Smoke detector Medical X-rays Nuclear power plant Coal-fired power plant Your Annual Total Dose - Read the notes just below the radiation survey. How does your annual dose of radiation compare to the United States average from all sources?
- Next, you'll find out more about radiation terms. Define radiation.
- What are the parts of an atom and what are their charges?
- How does an atom become unstable?
- Now you'll learn a bit more about Sources of Radiation. Explain the difference between ionizing and non-ionizing radiation.
- List four natural sources of radiation in the environment. About what percent of radiation comes from each of these sources?
- What is the main source of non-natural radiation?
- Let's see how you can protect yourself from radiation. Describe the three basic radiation protection concepts:
- Time
- Distance
- Shielding
- Time
- Let's take a look at specific protection from the three Types of Radiation. For each type of radiation below, describe its level of penetration and what is needed to stop it.
- Alpha
- Beta
- Gamma
- Alpha
- Finally, try your luck with the EPA radiation Word Search.
