Population exposure from natural sources and consumer products

To set the background for a meaningful discussion of population exposure from the nuclear fuel cycle, it is necessary to examine the competing contributors to radiation exposure for the human population. There is extensive documentation in various sources of the elements which make up the exposure of human beings to naturally occurring radiation. However, there are 3 draft documents of the National Council for Radiation Protection and Measurements which are soon to be published, and which cover, in detail, the three important aspects of this question. The three reports are those of Scientific Committee 43, Exposure to the Population in the US and Canada from natural Background; Scientific Committee 28; Radiation Exposure from Consumer Products and Miscellaneous Sources; and Scientific Committee 44, Exposure of the US Population to Diagnostic Medical Radiation. It is the purpose of this contribution to review and highlight the contacts of these documents. The dose from the first two of these sources is highly dependent upon location and other factors, but the general range of doses from natural radiation sources in the US is about 70-110 mrem/y. (0.7-1.10 mSv/y). Within recent years there has been a sharp increase in public awareness of the importance of the contribution of naturally occurring radon to exposure. Background radiation is well understood by the audience of this conference, therefore emphasis will be placed on the newer contributions relative to Quality Factor. There will be some discussion of the role of consumer products and technological enhancement of the natural contribution, as well as on the medical diagnostic exposure, which typically in advanced countries will range from 100-150 mrem/y (1.0-1.5 mSy/y). Exposure from technological enhancement and from consumer products contributes less than 10% to the total, but both are the result of human activity, and should be well understood and controlled