World (NAPSA)—Radiation is a word that tends to conjure fear among many Americans. The trepidation, however, is generally groundless. Man always has lived in a world of energy. Not exclusive to the nuclear environment, radiation is a naturally occurring ingredientoflife. It’s in the materials of the earth, as well as the food and water we consumeandtheair we breathe. a,a The natural radiation in our environment is just about the same today as it was more than 10,000 years ago. Life would not exist without radiation, such as the energy produced by the sun. Manyoflife’s activities result in the body’s absorption of natural radiation. A person sitting on a transcontinental flight at an altitude above 33,000 feet receives more radiation than if that same person spent 24 hours a day at the gatehouse of a nuclear power plant for an entire year. Televisions and computer monitors both produce harmless radiation that is absorbed by the human body on a daily basis. Medical diagnostic tests, such as X-rays, are another source of radiation. Radiation, part of life since time began, should not be viewed as a threat to health and existence. For more information, visit www.ans.org/pi/np/radiation, or call the American Nuclear Society Outreach Department at 1-708352-6611.
