Contents
Radioactive radiation is rarely mentioned. The younger generation has probably never heard of Chernobyl and the reactor accident. Meanwhile, we come into contact with objects that generate such radiation almost all the time. Explore the eight most radioactive objects in your environment.
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1/ 8 Bananas
Bananas are a highly radioactive food product. This is because they contain large amounts of radioactive potassium. But don’t worry too much – you would need to eat about 5 million bananas at a time to get any minimal effects from radiation sickness.
2/ 8 Brazil nuts
These nuts are one of the most radioactive foods on Earth. What it comes from? The dormouse roots are very long and absorb a large amount of barium and radium from the soil. These elements are accumulated in nuts, where their concentration can reach up to 0,3%, which is on average a thousand times more than in “normal” food products. However, you should not be afraid, it is still too small amount for occasional eating of this delicacy to harm us.
3/ 8 Cat Litter
It is specifically about bentonite litter. Bentonite is mainly composed of clay minerals. It is used to create litter because it has a very high ability to absorb moisture. Unfortunately, bentonite often contains trace amounts of radioactive uranium.
4/8 Papier
Many expensive magazines have coated pages. To achieve this effect, the paper should be covered with porcelain clay. This, in turn, may contain traces of radioactive uranium and thorium.
5/ 8 Luminous signs
They can be found in every large facility. They are designed to function even during disasters that often lead to power cuts. This means that such a sign must have an internal power source. In order to create this mechanism, these lamps often contain tritium, the unstable isotope of hydrogen.
6/ 8 Granite countertops
If you’re scared enough that you’ve made a decision to never eat bananas or Brazil nuts again, we have bad news for you. If you have granite countertops in your kitchen, there is a good chance that all the foods in your home show trace radioactivity. This is because granites often contain large amounts of natural radioactive elements.
7/ 8 Old pottery
It turns out that many ceramic products created before 1960 exhibit radioactive properties. It is mainly about those products covered with red and orange paint. Old ceramic paints of this color have been shown to contain uranium.
8/ 8 Cigarettes
This probably comes as no surprise to anyone – after all, cigarettes are the source of all evil. But why are they radioactive? Many cigarettes contain trace amounts of radioactive elements, e.g. polonium-210.