In 1987, it was estimated that six thousand seven hundred cancer deaths would be expected in men and approximately seven thousand one hundred deaths in women due to the background radiation that is received other than radon, every year. Many different types of radiation occur in our daily lives, including: cosmic rays, terrestrial radiation, radon, and finally medical x-rays. It is questionable whether or not background radiation can cause an increase in certain types of cancer. Many types of research have been conducted regarding environmental radiation and cancer, including studies on humans. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay. Followed by heart disease, cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for approximately four hundred and thirty thousand people. But does the background radiation that surrounds us daily, including the altitude at which we live, have an effect on the increase in cancer? I also want to include medical x-rays in this theory. My hypothesis for this theory was: yes, the different types of background radiation we are exposed to have some effect on increasing cancer statistics. Many different types of background radiation are present in our daily lives. Some background radiation includes: cosmic rays, radiation from the earth and radon. I will discuss each of them in more detail. I would also like to discuss medical x-rays, as these may or may not contribute to rising cancer statistics. First, cosmic rays are a type of radiation that comes from space and hits the earth. Cosmic rays include the stars and the sun, which are the main source. Cosmic ray radiation contributes on average to about eleven percent of the radiation to which we are exposed. Too much exposure to the sun can damage the skin, it is the main cause of skin cancer. However, many factors can be included in cosmic ray exposure. I originally thought that people living in Denver, Colorado, at an elevation of five thousand two hundred and thirty feet above sea level, compared to people living in New York, of New York, at an altitude of thirty-three feet above sea level, received more cosmic ray radiation because they are closer to the sun. This theory seemed very reasonable to me and I'm sure to others as well, but after some research, living at higher altitudes has nothing to do with increased skin cancers. This also includes pilots: research by scientists concluded that pilots who flew planes for many years did not show an increase in skin cancer. Could tanning beds be a safer alternative to spending so much time in the sun? Some people may say that this is a safer alternative, but that is not the case. Tanning beds use artificial ultraviolet rays, which when one gets tanned, one is exposed to this very harsh radiation for a short period of time. People thought that using a tanning bed was a safer alternative to going out in the sun because that's how tanning beds were advertised, but there was actually no evidence that this be true. Being exposed to this intense radiation for such a short time is like being exposed to the sun in the afternoon, when the rays are strongest. Cosmic radiation emitted bythe sun can actually bounce off snow, water, sand, sidewalks, and even grass. This is just one factor explaining how the sun's cosmic radiation is increasing. Others include: the distance from the equator, the season in which cosmic radiation is generally strongest in spring and summer and finally, depending on the time of day, the sun is strongest between ten p.m. Morning. and 4 p.m. Then the radiation from within the earth, which comes from natural man, created sources like rocks and soil. Because of this being present in rocks and soil, this radiation can pass through floors or walls of buildings with cracks and end up inside buildings. Since some foods and water come from soil and earth, these elements can also contain radiation from the earth. Additionally, radiation from the earth exists in the human body. This type of radiation is unlikely to affect humans and their health. Because we are exposed to radiation inside the Earth, we are exposed to radiation directly, much like we would be if we were taking medical x-rays. Radiation from the Earth's interior represents about seven percent of the annual dose received by humans, which can be equivalent to the radiation we would receive from two chest x-rays, so very minimal. Just like radiation inside our Earth, radon radiation can also occur. in houses and buildings. Radon radiation is the largest source of background radiation we receive. Radon forms when radioactive elements in the soil break down and form gas. This gas is present in the air, so it cannot be avoided. Radon can be released from water supplies into the air, which can then be inhaled. Radon may be more present in basements and crawl spaces. Underground mines are another place that could contain excessive amounts of radon. Being exposed to this type of radiation for too long can eventually lead to lung cancer because radon can break down into radioactive elements that can become trapped in the lining of the lungs, eventually damaging the cells, leading to lung damage. . cancer. With smoking being the most common cause of lung cancer, radon radiation is the second most common cause. Scientists estimate that around twenty thousand deaths per year are caused by radon. Also. Radon can be present in homes. It is suggested to have your home checked for radon levels twice a year, which I don't think some people really understand or at least didn't personally do before the research I did. To perform a radon check in your home, you can simply purchase a kit from a local hardware store and if your radon levels are high in your home, it should be rechecked to compare. On average per year, radon levels in homes in the United States are approximately two hundred and twenty-eight millirem, which is a measure of radiation. Finally, medical x-rays play a role in the radiation received and are a type of natural radiation. . Medical x-rays are very important in the medical field because they help in the diagnosis of many different problems. There are different types of x-ray procedures that can be performed: generalized x-ray, fluoroscopy and CT scan. Generalized radiography is the most well-known type of imaging modality and is used for bones and dentistry. This type of x-ray uses the least amount of radiation. There