7.1.5 Background Radiation

• It is important to remember that radiation is a natural phenomenon
• Radioactive elements have always existed on Earth and in outer space
  • However, human activity has added to the amount of radiation that humans are exposed to on Earth

• Background radiation is defined as:

Background radiation describes the low level of radiation present in the surroundings at all times

• There are two types of background radiation:
  • Natural sources
  • Man-made sources

Background radiation is the radiation that is present all around in the environment. Radon gas is given off from some types of rock

• Every second of the day there is some radiation emanating from natural sources such as:
  • Rocks
  • Cosmic rays from space
  • Foods

Origins of Background Radiation

• Background radiation can come from natural sources on Earth or space and man-made sources

Natural Sources

• Radon gas from rocks and soil
  • Heavy radioactive elements, such as uranium and thorium, occur naturally in rocks in the ground
  • Uranium decays into radon gas, which is an alpha emitter
  • This is particularly dangerous if inhaled into the lungs in large quantities

• Cosmic rays from space
  • The sun emits an enormous number of protons every second
  • Some of these enter the Earth’s atmosphere at high speeds
  • When they collide with molecules in the air, this leads to the production of gamma radiation
  • Other sources of cosmic rays are supernovae and other high energy cosmic events

• Carbon-14 in biological material
  • All organic matter contains a tiny amount of carbon-14
  • Living plants and animals constantly replace the supply of carbon in their systems hence the amount of carbon-14 in the system stays almost constant

• Radioactive material in food and drink
  • Naturally occurring radioactive elements can get into food and water since they are in contact with rocks and soil containing these elements
  • Some foods contain higher amounts such as potassium-40 in bananas
  • However, the amount of radioactive material is minuscule and is not a cause for concern

Man-Made Sources

• Medical sources
  • In medicine, radiation is utilised all the time
  • Uses include X-rays, CT scans, radioactive tracers, and radiation therapy

• Nuclear waste
  • While nuclear waste itself does not contribute much to background radiation, it can be dangerous for the people handling it

• Nuclear fallout from nuclear weapons
  • Fallout is the residue radioactive material that is thrown into the air after a nuclear explosion, such as the bomb that exploded at Hiroshima
  • While the amount of fallout in the environment is presently very low, it would increase significantly in areas where nuclear weapons are tested

• Nuclear accidents
  • Accidents such as that in Chernobyl contributed a large dose of radiation into the environment
  • While these accidents are now extremely rare, they can be catastrophic and render areas devastated for centuries

Corrected Count Rate

• Background radiation must be accounted for when taking readings in a laboratory
• This can be done by taking readings with no radioactive source present and then subtracting this from readings with the source present
  • This is known as the corrected count rate

Step 1: Determine the point at which the source radiation stops being detected

• • The background radiation is the amount of radiation received all the time
  • When the source is moved back far enough it is all absorbed by the air before reaching the Geiger-counter
  • Results after 1 metre do not change
  • Therefore, the amount after 1 metre is only due to background radiation

Step 2: State the background radiation count 

• • The background radiation count is 15 counts per minute

Detecting Radiation

• When radiation passes close to an atom, it knocks out electrons, ionising the atom
• Radiation detectors work by detecting the presence of these ions or the chemical changes that they produce
• Examples of radiation detectors include:
  • Photographic film (often used in badges)
  • Geiger-Muller (GM) tubes
  • Ionisation chambers
  • Scintillation counters
  • Spark counters

A Geiger-Muller tube (or Geiger counter) is a common type of radiation detector