In 1987, an estimated six thousand seven hundred cancer deaths in men and approximately seven thousand one hundred deaths in women were expected due to the background radiation that is received each year, in addition to radon. Many different types of radiation occur in our daily lives, including: cosmic rays, terrestrial radiation, radon, and finally medical x-rays. It is debatable whether or not background radiation can cause an increase in some types of cancer. Many different types of research have been conducted on background radiation and cancer, including studies in humans. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Equipped with heart disease, cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States for approximately four hundred and thirty thousand people. But does the background radiation that surrounds us every day, including the altitude at which we live, have an effect on increasing cancer? I also want to include medical x-rays in this theory. My hypothesis on this theory was, yes, the different types of background radiation we are exposed to have some effect on increasing cancer statistics. There are many different types of background radiation present in our daily lives. Some of the background radiation includes: cosmic rays, radiation from the earth, and radon. I will discuss each of these further. Additionally, I would like to discuss medical x-rays as these may or may not contribute to the rising cancer statistics. First, cosmic rays are a type of radiation that comes from space and hits the earth. Cosmic rays include stars and the sun, being the main source. Cosmic ray radiation constitutes on average about 11% of the radiation to which we are exposed. Prolonged exposure to the sun can cause skin damage, this is the leading cause of skin cancer. However, there are many factors that can be included in exposure to cosmic ray radiation. My initial thought was that people who live in Denver, Colorado, with an elevation of five thousand two hundred and thirty feet above sea level, compared to people who live in New York, New York, with an elevation of thirty-three feet above sea level. sea ​​level, they receive more cosmic radiation because they are closer to the sun. That theory seemed very reasonable to me and I'm sure to others as well, but after doing some research, living at higher altitudes has nothing to do with the increase in skin cancers. This also includes pilots: research conducted by scientists concluded that pilots who flew airplanes for many years did not show an increase in skin cancer. Could tanning beds be a safer alternative instead of spending so much time in the sun? Some people may argue that this is a safer alternative, but it is not. Tanning beds use artificial ultraviolet rays, which when you tan you are exposed to this very harsh radiation for a short period of time. People believed that using a tanning bed was a safer alternative to sun exposure because that was how tanning beds were advertised, but there was actually no evidence that this was true. Being exposed to this strong radiation for such a short period of time means being out in the sun in the afternoon, when the ray is strongest. Cosmic radiation from the sun can actually bounce off snow, water, sand, pavement, and even grass. This is just one of the factors that determine the increase in cosmic radiation coming from the sun. Others include: the distance from the equator, the season in which the cosmic radiation is, typically strongest in spring and summer and,finally, depending on the time of day, which sun is strongest between ten and ten in the morning. and four in the afternoon. Subsequently, radiation from within the earth, which comes from natural man, produced sources such as rocks and soil. Due to this being found in rocks and soil, this radiation can pass through floors or walls of buildings that have cracks and end up inside the buildings. Since some foods and water come from soil and soil, these elements may also include radiation from the earth. Furthermore, radiation from within the earth exists within the human body. This type of radiation is unlikely to affect humans and their health. Because we are exposed to radiation within the earth, we are directly exposed to radiation, just as we would be if we were to take medical x-rays. Radiation from the earth's interior represents about 7% of the annual dose received by humans and this may be equivalent to the radiation we would receive from two chest x-rays, so very minimal. Just like radiation within our earth, radon radiation can also occur in homes and buildings. Radon radiation is the largest source of background radiation we receive. Radon is formed when radioactive elements in the soil break down to form gas. This gas is in the air, so it is impossible to avoid it. Radon can be released from water supplies into the air, which can then be inhaled. Radon may be most noticeable in basements and crawl spaces. Another place that may contain an excessive amount of radon is underground mines. Being exposed to this type of radiation for a prolonged period can lead to lung cancer because radon can be broken down into radioactive elements which can become trapped in the lining of the lungs, this will eventually start to damage the cells which will lead to lung damage. cancer. Since cigarette smoking is the most common cause of lung cancer, radon radiation is the second leading cause. Scientists have estimated about twenty thousand deaths per year due to radon. Also. radon can run in households. It is suggested that you check the radon levels in your household twice a year, which I don't think some people really understand or at least personally haven't until the research I've done. To perform a radon check in your home, you can simply purchase a kit at a local hardware store, and if radon levels are high in your home, you should check it again to compare. On average each year radon levels in U.S. homes are approximately two hundred and twenty-eight millirem, which is a measure of radiation. Finally, medical X-rays play a role in the radiation received and are a type of natural radiation. . Medical x-rays are very important in the medical field because they help in the diagnosis of many different problems. There are different types of radiographic procedures that can be performed such as; generalized radiography, fluoroscopy and computed tomography. Generalized x-ray is the most familiar type of imaging modality and is used for bones and by the dentist. This type of x-ray uses the least amount of radiation. Fluoroscopy is where the radiologist and radiographer work together under real-time x-rays and this uses more radiation than a typical x-ray, but still uses small amounts. Then there is computed tomography which uses the most radiation of all modalities. Can medical x-rays have an effect on cancer? The answer is yes, because these X-rays