Sources of ionizing radiation

Irradiation by ionizing radiation comes from two major sources: natural radiation, in which man is constantly immersed, and radiation sources of "human" origin, i.e. those associated with modern technology. For most countries, irradiation from natural sources remains the most important, followed by medical irradiation, which depends closely on the country's level of technology, and finally, for populations, irradiation linked to the nuclear industry. The United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) regularly updates its radiation inventory, most recently in 1993. For France, the average individual irradiation due to natural radioactivity is around 2 mSv per year in effective dose, and can vary from one region to another by a factor of 3. Diagnostic radiation from medical sources is half that, at around 1 mSv per year in effective dose.