Things to know about radiation
- Naturally occurring radioactivity exists in all living things, including trees, brush and grass. The risk of a wildfire on Laboratory property is not appreciably different than the risk of any wildfire anywhere.
- In past fires near the Laboratory, there have been detectable measurements off Lab property, but those measurements were consistent with the naturally occurring radioactive material that is present in smoke from any wildland fire.
- It is important to note that simply because the measurements were detectable, it does not mean that they were hazardous.
- The Laboratory’s radiation airborne radiological emissions in 2023* resulted in a maximum dose of 0.435 millirem of exposure to individuals in Northern New Mexico; the EPA limit is 10 millirems per year. For comparison, a cross-country plane flight results in about 3.5 millirems of radiation exposure. (*2024 results will be available in June 2025.)
- The annual average individual background radiation dose received by a typical resident of Northern New Mexico is about 400 millirems per year, primarily from cosmic rays, radon, naturally occurring radiation in the soil, and other natural sources.
