Nuclear mattersRadiation is a constant presence in our lives
The normal radiation we are exposed to causes the following: For every 100 million people, there will be 4,100 fatal cancers, 2,500 nonfatal cancers, 4,600 genetic defects (not all of which are obvious); for every additional mrem per person per year, the above rates will increase .67 percent
Radiation, from nuclear weapons, terrorist “dirty bombs” (explosives used to spread radioactive material), or malfunctioning (from terrorist activity or otherwise) nuclear power plants, is greatly feared. Yet, Strategy Page notes, we are constantly exposed to potentially harmful amounts of radiation. This is because radiation is a naturally occurring phenomena. We are all exposed, on the average, to at least 160 mrem per year. A mrem (milliroentgen equivalent to man) is a standard measure for radiation absorbed by humans. This normal exposure causes problems. For every 100 million people, that comes down to: 4,100 fatal cancers, 2,500 nonfatal cancers, 4,600 genetic defects (not all of which are obvious). For every additional mrem per person per year, the above rates will increase .67 percent (75 cancers and genetic defects per 100 million people).
About a fifth of the average natural radiation (30 mrem) is received from the sun, which is an ongoing thermonuclear explosion. Spend more time in the sun, and you get more radiation (and maybe even skin cancer). About 25 mrem comes from proximity to building materials, stone being the most radioactive. Living inside a stone building will add 50 mrem a year. The things we eat and drink add another 40 mrem. The remaining 65 mrem come from such man-made sources as: X-rays and medical treatments (50 mrem, but rapidly rising), air travel (1 mrem per 1,500 miles), watching TV (1 mrem if you watch 6.67 hours a day, the average American watches some 2,600 hours a year), fallout from previous atmospheric nuclear weapons tests (4 mrem), and the remainder from various consumer products. Spending all your time next to a nuclear power plant adds 5 mrem, less than 1 mrem if you live 2 kilometers away and zero mrem if you are 8 or more kilometers distant. If a nuclear power plant does blow, like Chernobyl, you get doses similar to those received from a nuclear bomb.
Then there is radon. This is a gas produced from the natural breakdown of uranium in the earth. In many parts of the world, radon seeps into houses and concentrates to the point where it gives the inhabitants an average of 200 mrem per year. The problem with radon is that its concentration varies from one area to another. In a few places, inhabitants of well insulated houses sitting atop large uranium deposits can receive more than the safety limit of 5,000 mrem per
