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Every day you and I are exposed to
radiation
, often without being aware of it.
And I am not referring to when he goes to the hospital for an X-ray, but also when he simply takes a walk in the countryside, drinks some water or is sitting in his armchair at home reading this article.
When it comes to ionizing radiation, from natural or artificial sources, it has great applications in medicine or industry... but when
the doses to which we are exposed exceed certain levels
, they can have
serious effects
on our health.
What are the sources of natural radiation?
They are, for example, the ground we walk on, the water we drink, the food or simply the air we breathe.
Even from the cosmos we receive radiation.
In nature that surrounds us there are more than 60 radioactive materials, with
radon gas
being the main source of natural ionizing radiation.
A gas that emanates from the rocks and the earth in a totally normal and natural way.
And what are the sources of artificial radiation?
They range
from nuclear power generation to some medical devices
.
But don't worry too much about nuclear power plants, the ionizing radiation you and I receive from man-made sources comes from medical devices that use radiation for diagnostic purposes or to treat disease, such as X-rays or radiation therapy.
The World Health Organization estimates that
98% of the amount of artificial ionizing radiation we receive comes from medical devices
.
Is most of the radiation I receive natural or artificial?
It depends on each case, especially your state of health and the medical tests you have to undergo, but the World Health Organization has calculated that
80% of the ionizing radiation dose we receive each year comes from sources of natural radiation
.
What are the consequences of exposing yourself too much?
Ionizing
radiation has enough energy to affect the cells
of our body, being able to damage its genetic material and causing that cell to die or become cancerous.
Luckily
the human body is very well designed
and our cells are extremely efficient, being able to
repair such damage
before it has major consequences for our health.
Unless, of course, the dose we receive is extremely high or not so high but is maintained over time.
How can I reduce radiation at home?
Most of the ionizing radiation that we can have at home comes from radon gas.
This gas appears from the disintegration of the uranium contained in the rocks
, and the amount we have at home will depend mainly on its location and the materials used in its construction.
To reduce its concentration
, the best thing we can do is to ventilate our home well
, since this gas is concentrated in closed spaces.
What about radiation from mobile phones?
In this case we are talking about
a totally different radiation
.
Mobile phones
release non-ionizing radiation
, the same as the microwave we have in the kitchen, and
it is not considered harmful
because its emission is in small amounts.
The World Health Organization sets
the radiation emission limit of smartphones at 2 watts per kilogram
and, for now, these devices do not exceed it.
However, the Spanish Society for Radiological Protection recently published a document in which it advised
prudent use of mobile phones
, "given the current uncertainties and limitations in the knowledge of the subthermal effects of non-ionizing radiation", especially in children. and vulnerable people.
What about home WiFi?
Devices that emit the Wi-
Fi
signal at home or at work also
release non-ionizing radiation, such as mobile phones or microwaves
.
The most recent evidence we have about their possible harmful effects is a macro study published in
Critical Reviews in Environmental Science
that shows that
these wireless networks do not have any negative effect
on people's health.
The radiation emitted by Wi-Fi is well below ionizing radiation levels.
According to the criteria of The Trust Project
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