Did you know that we live in a radioactive world -- that radiation is all around us? In fact, it's part of our natural environment. This is called background radiation because it comes from natural as well as man-made sources.

Use this list to compute the approximate amount of radiation you recieve each year from your environment. The average American is exposed to about 360 millirem of radiation each year -- the overwhelming majority of it from natural surroundings.

Natural Radiation Sources:

millirem per year:

Cosmic radiation that reaches the earth at sea level.......................................27

Add 1 for every 250 feet elevation above sea level--

Phoenix is 1,100 feet, add 4...

Albuquerque is 4,950 feet, add 10...

Flagstaff is 6,900 feet, add 28...

Denver is 5,300 add 21

L.A. is 300 add 1...

Radiation from the earth: 28

Building materials in your home:4

Radon gas from the ground:200

Radiation in your own body from food and water:39

Man-made radiation sources:

Jet plane travel-- 9.5 millrem per hour from cosmic radiation

Smokers: approximately 1,300 millirem annually from radon products in tobacco

Average medical exposure is 25 to 55 millirem

chest X-ray: add 6 for each one

intestinal X-ray: add 245

Consumer products such as smoke detectors:10

Power plants: (all types): far less than 1 millirem

source: National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRPM)

Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station 602 393 5757