Radiation facts
Radiation and nuclear
In nuclear energy, radiation is carefully controlled, monitored, and managed to ensure safety for both people and the environment.
What is radiation?
Radiation is the energy emitted by an object in the form of electromagnetic waves or particles, and it’s all around us. The amount of radiation exposure a person receives depends on many variables.
Sources of radiation
We are all exposed to radiation as a part of our daily lives. For example, radiation can come from the sun, medical scans and x-rays, even bananas due to their potassium content.
Radiation & bananas
Living near a nuclear plant is like eating 10 bananas over 1 year.
The Banana-Equivalent Dose index was developed by the scientific community to show radiation exposure levels in comparison to the radiation that comes from the potassium in a banana.
How is radiation measured?
Exposure to radiation in humans is measured in millisieverts (mSv). A millisievert is a measurement of radiation dose by an individual. The average exposure of Canadians is 1.8 mSv per year.
