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Ionising Radiation > Environmental radioactivity
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Flight Passengers
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Many people travel by airplanes. These planes fly in altitudes were cosmic radiation contributes markedly to the exposure of man. This contribution increases with an increasing altitude. Moreover, it depends on flight duration, geomagnetic latitude and solar activity (full text in German only).
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Residues with enhanced natural radioactivity resulting from industrial processes
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 With part 3 of the Radiation Protection Ordinance of July 20, 2001, for the first time regulations were established to protect the general public from enhanced radiation exposures due to natural radioactive substances that are not used because of their radioactive features or their suitability as nuclear fuel but occur as (undesired) accompaniment of some conventional industrial processes. The cause of such enhanced radiation exposures is either in the raw materials containing enhanced levels of radioactivity or in technologically caused accumulations, mainly in certain industrial residues.
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Natural radionuclides in building material
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Radionuclides in building materials cause a radiation exposure via emission of gamma radiation and inhalation of radon. The mean gamma local dose rate in buildings produced by natural radionuclides in building materials amounts to 80 nSv/h and exceeds 200 nSv/h only exceptionally. The building materials traditionally used in great quantities in Germany, are generally not the cause of enhanced exposure to radon in buildings (full text in German only).
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Granite countertops in homes?
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More recently newspapers reported on granite in homes as a source of potential radiation exposure. Natural stone and other building materials contain the natural radionuclides Uranium-238, Thorium-232 and their decay products as well as Potassium-40. The radioactive noble gas Radon-222 (Rn-222, half life 3.8 days) originates from Radium-226 as an intermediate of the Uranium-238 decay chain. However, in most instances the proportion of radon from building materials and natural stone in homes is small compared to the amount of radon emitted from soil.
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Relics
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The term "legacy" in connection with enhanced natural radioactivity has so far not been defined in the legal sense. Therefore, the term "relic" will be used here. In the following an overview is given on the problem and the categories of relics from mining, industry and uranium ore mining. Please, find more detailed information on the Expert Info pages.
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