Is the Effect from Naturally Occurring Radiation the Same as from Man-Made Radiation?
Q
Is the effect from naturally occurring radiation the same as from man-made radiation, such as medical x rays?
A
The simple answer is yes. As long as the radiation type is the same, there is no difference between the effects from naturally occurring radiation and man-made or machine produced radiation. There are differences if the radiation type (not the source) is different. For example, alpha particles can cause more biological damage than beta particles or photons. This difference is taken into account when calculating radiation doses to humans.
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