Radiation Questions and Answers
Q) Is radiation something that I need to worry about?
A) We are exposed to low levels of radiation every day. Radiation is used in many ways—in radar and x-rays—and is also emitted by TV and computer screens. We also receive radiation from sunlight.
While carefully controlled radiation is used in medicine to cure some kinds of cancer, high doses of radiation can cause cancer and other health problems. Birth defects can occur in children born to people who are exposed to high doses. That is why safety issues for employees and people who live near nuclear power plants are taken so seriously.
Q) How much radiation do I receive from nuclear power plants?
A) Although it is not possible to run a nuclear power plant without some release of radioactivity, you might be surprised to learn just how little exposure this produces for the average American.
Today, a person in the U. S. receives an average exposure to radiation of about 620 millirems per year. About half comes from the natural radiation in soil, water, rocks, building materials, and even food. The rest comes mostly from medical tests and procedures, such as x-rays and CT scans.
So how much is a millirem? Experts say you would receive 1 millirem from:
- 3 days of living in Atlanta
- 2 days of living in Denver
- 1 year of watching television (on average)
- 1 coast-to-coast airline flight
- 1 year living next door to a normally operating nuclear power plant
Repeated surveys around TVA’s operating nuclear plants have shown no detectable increase in radiation above normal background levels.
