NATURAL RADIOACTIVITY IN HUMAN ENVIRONMENT

Abstract

Since the radioactivity can not be detected by senses, the most usual reaction to it is fear of unknown. The majority of non-professionals share the common concept of radioactivity as something mysterious and dangerous. The main reason could be insufficient education as well as lack of public information on the properties of ionizing radiation and also on its influence on the environment. The fact is that radioactivity is inevitably present in human surroundings and that humanity has been living for millennia without cognition and understanding of ionizing radiation effects. Nevertheless, proper usage of ionizing radiation in many fields of human activity could lead the way of prosperity. Contemporaneously, it should be kept in mind that the negative impact is possible, but it could be minimized by careful and optimal use of ionizing radiation. The short overview of natural radioactivity in human environment is presented in this paper

Keywords

• Natural radioactivity
• environment
• biological effects of ionizing radiation