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Three employees of the Nuclear Safety Commission (NSC) Sun Ching-yeh, Tsay Yeousong and Sheu Jhy-fei recently finished a 10-day round-the-island bike ride. This adventure, relatively grand for the three cyclists who are all in their fifties attracted the attention and concern of their NSC colleagues before setting out. Their NSC superiors, while totally supportive of the undertaking, also gave them a mission on this road trip. The three cyclists were asked to carry a radiation surveymeter with them so they could also measure environmental radiation level along the way. During the trip, environmental radiation was measured and data taken once every four to five kilometers. The readings were found to range between 0.03 to 0.12 micro-Sv per hour, which fall within the range of general background radiation of 0.2 micro-Sv per hour. According to the Radiation Monitoring Center, the natural background radiation at Alishan is higher than that at Lanyu where low-level waste is temporarily stored and that in the vicinity of nuclear power plants. There are places in the world where the natural background radiation is a few dozen times that in Taiwan, such as Guarapari in Brazil, Ramsar in Iran and Yangjiang County of Guangdong Province in China. However no reports have shown that the cancer incidence or genetic defect rate in areas with high natural background radiation is higher than that in other areas.
The goals set by the three NSC colleagues for this trip were to set foot on the four extreme points of Taiwan that are further north, south, east or west than any other location in Taiwan as well as the four nuclear power plants in the country. They realized their dream after riding 1294.8 km and they gathered monitoring data at 338 locations along the way. According to their measurements, the radioactivity around nuclear power plants was not different from that in other areas, and the average of measured data in Taipei County and Pingtung County were comparable to those in other cities and counties.
The NSC Radiation Monitoring Center Director Huang Ching-Chung indicates that natural ionizing radiation is omnipresent in the environment we live in. There are three primary sources of natural ionizing radiation: (1) cosmic rays; (2) rocks and soil of earth; and (3) naturally occurring radionuclides, such as, radon and potassium-40. The data measured by the three NSC colleagues represent the dose level of natural ionizing radiation in respective regions.
The intensity of cosmic rays increases with latitude, that is, the higher the latitude, the higher the intensity level. Scientists believe that the aurora borealis (or polar light) in Antarctica is a phenomenon related to the interaction of cosmic rays with the atmosphere. The intensity of cosmic rays also increases with elevation that doubles with roughly every ascent of 1,500 meters. Based on this theory, mountainous regions in Taiwan should have higher radiation level than other areas, a fact corroborated by the Monitoring Center through actual measurement.
The major source of natural radiation human body is exposed to is radon. Radon is present in air and enters our body through breathing. In some frigid-zone countries, the indoor radon concentration would be elevated due to insulation and heating activities. Taiwan on the other hand is situated in subtropical zone and hence does not have this kind of problem as households desire better ventilation and coolness. Potassium-40 radionuclide is found in our body and foodstuff. Another interesting phenomenon about natural radiation in Taiwan is the hokutolite that is also known as "Beitou Stone." Beitou Stone is formed because the radionuclides contained in crust are dissolved by the high-temperature and acidic hot spring water, which are brought to earth surface, cooled off and then adhered to the stone. Beitou Stone is originally from Geothermal Valley (Di-ri-gu) in Beitou and hence named as such. There is an exhibit section on Beitou Stone in the Beitou Hot Spring Museum.
Natural ionizing radiation differs slightly in different regions, just like weather and topography. It is a natural phenomenon that does not warrant any concern by the public.
Round-the-Island Bike Ride and Monitoring of Natural Ionizing Radiation--(20081028)
Last Update: Jun 23, 2020
Three employees of the Nuclear Safety Commission (NSC) Sun Ching-yeh, Tsay Yeousong and Sheu Jhy-fei recently finished a 10-day round-the-island bike ride. This adventure, relatively grand for the three cyclists who are all in their fifties attracted the attention and concern of their NSC colleagues before setting out. Their NSC superiors, while totally supportive of the undertaking, also gave them a mission on this road trip. The three cyclists were asked to carry a radiation surveymeter with them so they could also measure environmental radiation level along the way. During the trip, environmental radiation was measured and data taken once every four to five kilometers. The readings were found to range between 0.03 to 0.12 micro-Sv per hour, which fall within the range of general background radiation of 0.2 micro-Sv per hour. According to the Radiation Monitoring Center, the natural background radiation at Alishan is higher than that at Lanyu where low-level waste is temporarily stored and that in the vicinity of nuclear power plants. There are places in the world where the natural background radiation is a few dozen times that in Taiwan, such as Guarapari in Brazil, Ramsar in Iran and Yangjiang County of Guangdong Province in China. However no reports have shown that the cancer incidence or genetic defect rate in areas with high natural background radiation is higher than that in other areas.
The goals set by the three NSC colleagues for this trip were to set foot on the four extreme points of Taiwan that are further north, south, east or west than any other location in Taiwan as well as the four nuclear power plants in the country. They realized their dream after riding 1294.8 km and they gathered monitoring data at 338 locations along the way. According to their measurements, the radioactivity around nuclear power plants was not different from that in other areas, and the average of measured data in Taipei County and Pingtung County were comparable to those in other cities and counties.
The NSC Radiation Monitoring Center Director Huang Ching-Chung indicates that natural ionizing radiation is omnipresent in the environment we live in. There are three primary sources of natural ionizing radiation: (1) cosmic rays; (2) rocks and soil of earth; and (3) naturally occurring radionuclides, such as, radon and potassium-40. The data measured by the three NSC colleagues represent the dose level of natural ionizing radiation in respective regions.
The intensity of cosmic rays increases with latitude, that is, the higher the latitude, the higher the intensity level. Scientists believe that the aurora borealis (or polar light) in Antarctica is a phenomenon related to the interaction of cosmic rays with the atmosphere. The intensity of cosmic rays also increases with elevation that doubles with roughly every ascent of 1,500 meters. Based on this theory, mountainous regions in Taiwan should have higher radiation level than other areas, a fact corroborated by the Monitoring Center through actual measurement.
The major source of natural radiation human body is exposed to is radon. Radon is present in air and enters our body through breathing. In some frigid-zone countries, the indoor radon concentration would be elevated due to insulation and heating activities. Taiwan on the other hand is situated in subtropical zone and hence does not have this kind of problem as households desire better ventilation and coolness. Potassium-40 radionuclide is found in our body and foodstuff. Another interesting phenomenon about natural radiation in Taiwan is the hokutolite that is also known as "Beitou Stone." Beitou Stone is formed because the radionuclides contained in crust are dissolved by the high-temperature and acidic hot spring water, which are brought to earth surface, cooled off and then adhered to the stone. Beitou Stone is originally from Geothermal Valley (Di-ri-gu) in Beitou and hence named as such. There is an exhibit section on Beitou Stone in the Beitou Hot Spring Museum.
Natural ionizing radiation differs slightly in different regions, just like weather and topography. It is a natural phenomenon that does not warrant any concern by the public.
