Summary:
- We are all exposed to a small amount of radiation in our daily lives.
- This background radiation comes from naturally occurring sources and from human-produced radiation.
- Exposure to X-rays and nuclear medicine isotopes, ground sources, and cosmic radiation account for almost half of the background exposure of the average American.
- Radon gas is formed from the decay of uranium and thorium isotopes and is responsible for a little over half the total amount of background radiation.
- A good start is to test your living area for radon with a radon test kit.