Background radiation: natural and man-made
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review and dosimetric overview; level assigned by design analogy.
OpenAlex W1994750015 · doi:10.1088/0952-4746/23/1/302
What was done
This narrative overview synthesizes and compares estimated worldwide average effective dose rates from natural background radiation components (cosmic radiation, cosmogenic radionuclides, primordial terrestrial radionuclides, and radon isotopes) and anthropogenic fallout from atmospheric nuclear weapons testing based on the provided abstract.
What was found
The worldwide average effective dose rate from natural background radiation is approximately 2400 microSv a(-1) (2.4 mSv a(-1)). Component contributions include: low-LET cosmic-ray secondaries (~280 microSv a(-1)), cosmic-ray neutrons (~100 microSv a(-1)), cosmogenic 14C (~12 microSv a(-1)), external primordial radionuclides (~480 microSv a(-1)), internal 40K (~165 microSv a(-1)), internal uranium and thorium series (~120 microSv a(-1)), 222Rn and progeny (~1105 microSv a(-1)), and 220Rn and progeny (~91 microSv a(-1)). In comparison, worldwide effective dose rates from nuclear weapons fallout peaked at 113 microSv a(-1) in 1963 (about 5% of natural background) and decreased to about 5.5 microSv a(-1) (about 0.2% of natural background).
Why it matters
These data provide a comparative baseline for environmental radiation exposures, contextualizing anthropogenic releases against omnipresent natural background radiation.
Limits
The abstract reports summary global averages without detailing methodology, uncertainty intervals, or primary dataset sample sizes. It also notes substantial spatial and regional variations (particularly for radon) that are not quantified in the text.
Cited by
- supports Living at sea level provides an environmental background radiation exposure of approximately 1 to 2 millisieverts per year.