We interact with – and eat – radioactive materials. But how much radiation are we taking in?
Bananas may be an excellent source of potassium and vitamin B6, and avocados may provide good levels of pantothenic acid and dietary fibre, but that’s not all these items bring to the party.
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There are plenty of innocent objects (such as bananas and avocados) which give off radiation.
In fact, North Carolina State University scientists used handheld Geiger counters and found we ‘interact’ with radioactive materials every day.
The scientists involved say the radiation detected is no cause for concern.
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While there is indeed radiation emitted from avocados and bananas, the former give off 0.16 μGy/hr of gamma radiation and the latter 0.17 μGy/hr.
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This puts them on a par with bricks (0.15 μGy/hr) and smoke detectors with their americium components (0.16 μGy/hr).
To put this into context, natural uranium ore measured 1.57 μGy/hr. Which would be bad news for us.
Prof Hayes added, “If you’re surprised that your fruit is emitting gamma radiation, don’t panic.
“The regulatory level for workers – which is safe – is exposure to 50,000 μGy per year.
Read more at Innocent food items in your home are “glowing” with radiation – including your avocados and bananas
The regulatory level for workers should not be applied to a household where children and those who are vulnerable to radiation may live. Also, this study doesn’t address internal radiation exposure at all, which is a concern.