The unknown monsters of Pripyat, mushrooms the size of a man and two-headed hares - all these stories excite our imagination no worse than horror movies. But there are other, more truthful facts about radiation, writes PM.
1. The city of Denver - the capital of Colorado - is one of the most radioactive cities in the world. On September 11, 1957, an accident occurred at the Rocky Flats plant. Rocky Flats produced parts for nuclear weapons and weapons grade plutonium. A column of radioactive dust has reached the city of Denver. The radiation level here is twice the permissible level. But there is good news: this is not enough to cause any damage to the residents today.
2. A flight from New York to London exposes passengers to the same level of radiation as a single X-ray.
3. Pilots and flight attendants, you guessed it, have a hard time. For a year of work, employees are exposed to radiation more strongly than employees of nuclear power plants.
4. Chernobyl is one of the most radioactive regions in the world. The Red Forest, otherwise known as the Rusty Forest, has taken over the strongest radioactive release. It has a reddish tint and looks pretty impressive.
5. On our planet there are not only man-made nuclear reactors, but also natural ones. One of these is the African nuclear reactor, which was formed from deposits of uranium-235.
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6. Ionizing radiation can damage DNA and lead to mutations. Hence, scientists suggest that radiation could be one of the factors of evolution.
7. During the Cold War, the United States began searching for uranium for military purposes. The authorities sent the Navajo Indians as uranium miners. By the way, in those days, the workers did not know anything that their health was in danger.
8. In the 20th century in the USA, the children's set of a young physicist was very popular. The kit included real uranium-238.
9. Smoke contains radioactive isotopes. Therefore, in addition to the obvious harm, smokers also receive a considerable amount of radiation.
10. When Marie Curie discovered radium, the element became very popular. Very little was known about radiation in those days. Therefore, radium was used everywhere: in cosmetics, in medicines, in household items and even in food. Needless to say, many paid for this fashion with their health.