Radiation has played an important role in improving health outcomes in the U.S. since the mid-20th century. Radiation has beneficial uses for diagnosing disease, treating serious diseases like cancer, quality control in industrial processes, research and development, and homeland security activities.
Beneficial uses of radiation can improve our quality of life and enhance security. However, the amount of radiation that the average individual is exposed to has increased substantially since the 1980’s, due to expanded use of procedures like computed tomography (CT) scans and nuclear medicine tests such as cardiac stress tests. There are many useful and credible sources to help people understand more about radiation. A few links are provided here to assist the media in looking for information:
