Has your neighbour turned fluorescent? Probably it's because he visited one place with the highest rate of natural radiation.
To prevent you from making the same misstep, we report below our ranking of "the five most radioactive places on Earth"
But before
Knowing the effects that radiation has on living beings is of crucial importance. Our project, "Make Research Shine!", is precisely aiming for this goal: the development of a sensor that will allow us to clarify this issue.
A few numbers!
The sievert (Sv) is the unit of measurement that allows us to quantify the equivalent dose and effective dose of radiation that induces effects and damage to a living organism.
The four natural radioisotopes:40K, 226Ra, 238U, and 232Th are the primary cause of the natural radioactivity background.
At sea level, cosmic rays have an intensity of 0.3 mSv / year. On the summit of Mont Blanc, at over 4,800 meters above sea level, it is six times greater.
The global average exposure of humans to ionizing radiation is around 2 - 3 mSv per year and is therefore mainly due to the soil!
A radiograph of the abdomen or a mammogram results in a radiation dose of less than 1 mSv, an abdominal CT scan of about 8 mSv.
The recommended international limit for those working in nuclear power plants, radiology, and nuclear medicine departments is 100 mSv / year
However, humans also contribute to changing the natural background.
The ranking
5th place: Ramsar (Iran)
This place is famous for its radioactive water sources. It reaches values equal to 263 mSv / year. The average FRN of Ramsar is 10 mSv / year. The radioactivity so high is because of the radium in the travertine deposits under the city.
4th place: Fukushima (Japan)
When a magnitude 9.1 earthquake caused the 2011 tsunami, the Fukushima Daini nuclear power plant suffered its second-worst nuclear disaster. The failure of the reactor cooling water pumps stopped leading to the leakage of radioactive material. The radiation rates near reactors 3 and 4 have reached 400 mSv / h. Nowadays, they are around 20 mSv / year.
3rd place: Karunagappalli (India)
Besides rare earth, there are also impurities of uranium and thorium, which bring the FRN to 70 mSv / year in some territories.
2nd place: Chernobyl (Ukraine)
In April 1986, one of the worst and most famous incidents shocked the world. During a late-night safety test at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, the safety systems were disabled, resulting in a massive explosion. Radiation levels in the most affected areas of the reactor building, including the control room, were estimated at 300 Sv / h. Today the site immediately surrounding the former plant remains one of the most radioactive places in the world, reaching 87 mSv / year.
1st place: Guarapari (Brazil)
Guarapari beach contains monazite, which has led to maximum measured levels of 175 mSv / year.
And in Italy?
According to the UN report in Orvieto, the radioactivity is 5 mSv / year because of the particular volcanic rocks presence.
