Question 2 of 21

What is the largest source of radiation exposure?

... This is the term for naturally occuring radioactive elements in the soil and air.

Question 3 of 21

How much of our radiation exposure comes from the natural background?

... Of that, one-third is cosmic radiation from space.

Question 4 of 21

What is the largest source of man-made radiation?

... X-rays and therapeutic radioactive treatments make up about 15 percent of the radiation we receive.

Question 5 of 21

Commercial nuclear power plants account for what percentage of our exposure to radiation?

... Combine the plants with uranium mining and milling, nuclear waste disposal and fallout from atmospheric nuclear weapons tests, and it's still less than 1 percent.

Question 6 of 21

What term describes the decay of atoms?

... Only some atoms, such as uranium and plutonium, are naturally unstable and prone to decay.

Question 7 of 21

What type of radiation affects living tissues?

... The electrical ions can change biological functions.

Question 8 of 21

What element is the main source of radioactivity in our bodies?

... It decays very slowly, with a half-life of 1.42 billion years.

Question 9 of 21

What did a study by the National Institutes of Health show that cell phones affect?

... Using a cell phone increases brain glucose metabolism.

Question 10 of 21

In comparison to regular cell phones, smart phones emit how much radiation?

... Cell phones have only been in use about 20 years -- smart phones much less than that -- so we don't know how this exposure will affect us.

Question 11 of 21

Why is it important to monitor the use of CT scans in children?

... Each CT scan increases a child's risk of cancer to 1 in 1,000.

Question 12 of 21

Who is exposed to the most radiation from a nuclear submarine?

... The nuclear reactor is sealed. The crew is actually exposed to less radiation than they would be on the surface.

Question 13 of 21

How can you tell your mail has been irradiated?

... The mail is run through a high-energy beam to kill organisms in or on the packages.

Question 14 of 21

An ionizing smoke detector does not pose a radiation danger, unless…

... The radionuclide used in a smoke detector is bonded to foil and sealed.

Question 15 of 21

Your best chance of being exposed to tritium, the radioactive form of hydrogen, is by _________.

... Mixing tritium with a chemical that emits light in the presence of radiation ensures continuous illumination.

Question 16 of 21

What percentage of our exposure to radiation comes from radon?

... This radioactive gas enters buildings from the ground. Any building, new or old, can have a radon problem.

Question 17 of 21

What characteristics allow microwaves to be used in cooking?

... Microwaves are a form of electromagnetic radiation.

Question 18 of 21

UVA radiation, used in tanning beds, increases the risk for which type of cancer?

... Women who tan more than once a month increase their risk by 55 percent.

Question 19 of 21

What do we know about the risk of exposure to power lines?

... While studies show there may be a link between power lines and childhood leukemia, nothing definitive has been proven.

Question 20 of 21

Which substance is a radioactive byproduct of the fertilizer manufacturing process?

... It is disposed of in underground stacks, which are carefully monitored and pose no danger to the population.

Question 21 of 21

What precautions are taken when radioactive materials are transported by truck, train, plane or boat?

... Each year, three million packages containing radioactive materials are transported in this country.

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