Artificial radioactivity

In contrast to natural radioactivity, artificial radioactivity is created by human activity. Only one third of exposure to radioactivity is from artificial sources.

The two main sources of artificial exposure are:

• cosmic radiation a;
• radiation from the earth and buildings (construction materials) b;
• radiation from the human body c;
• soil gas radon d;
• medical applications ^e: some radionuclides can be used for examinations (for example X-rays) and medical treatment (for example radiotherapy);
• industrial products ^f : radionuclides produced in nuclear installations and mining.