• Question: Which area in the world has the most radiation?

    Asked by krys112 to Hermine, Katy, Laura, Nathalie, Paula on 19 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Nathalie Pettorelli

      Nathalie Pettorelli answered on 18 Jun 2010:

      Hi Krys,

      If we are talking background radiation, it’s apparently China, Brazil & India 😉

    • Photo: Paula Salgado

      Paula Salgado answered on 18 Jun 2010:

      Hi Krys

      It depends if you are talking about natural sources of background radiation that is found everywhere on Earth, with some areas having higher concentrations than others.

      If you mean human created radiation, from nuclear weapons or reactors, it’s not Chernobyl or Hiroshima… it’s the site of the first atomic bombs tests in the former Soviet Union. It’s called Semipalatinsk and it’s in the planes of Kazakhstan. You can read more about it here:

      http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/the-worlds-worst-radiation-hotspot-1784502.html

      Hope that helps 😉

    • Photo: Katy Mee

      Katy Mee answered on 19 Jun 2010:

      Depends what kind of radiation you mean? If you mean solar radiation (i.e. how much of the sun’s radiation) reaches Earth’s surface, then it would be around the equator as these areas are closest to the sun.

      If you mean nuclear radiation, again it depends whether you mean natural or anthropogenic (man-made) radiation. According to Wikipedia, Lake Karachay in Russia is considered one of the most toxic places on Earth because it was used as a dumping site for radioactive waste from a nearby nuclear storage and reprocessing site. Apparently 5 minutes at the shore of the lake can kill you! This link tells you more information about it:

      http://www.kirps.com/cgi-bin/web.pl?sid=&blog_record=31

      Some rocks also contain radioactive elements such as uranium, thorium, potassium and radon, which decay naturally. One of the most naturally radioactive rock in the world is an igneous rock in Greenland called IIimaussaq (no idea how you pronounce that!), which has a large uranium deposit. In the UK, radon is the most naturally occurring radioactive element and can build up to potentially hazardous concentrations in some buildings. The British Geological Survey and the Health Protection Agency conduct surveys of radon occurrence to ensure this does not cause people any health problems.

      Hope that helps….

    • Photo: Hermine Schnetler

      Hermine Schnetler answered on 19 Jun 2010:

      Possibly America, I was reading an article earlier that showed that the American populations radiation exposure has increased by a factor of 6 because of hospitals. That is right they keep going for check ups and are subjected to tests using some of the most advanced and latest technologies that use radiation. Bit ridiculous that, would hate to work there!

    • Photo: Laura Dixon

      Laura Dixon answered on 19 Jun 2010:

      Semipalatinsk (I had to look uo how to spell that!)- where the Soviet Union tested nulcear weapons would be my best guess.

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