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What is Radiation?

Radiation & Uranium

What is Radiation?

Radiation is energy in the form of waves or particles. Radiation doesn’t just come from nuclear energy – it’s all around us. We’re exposed to both natural and man-made sources of radiation every day.

There are two types of radiation: ionizing and non-ionizing.

  • Non-Ionizing Radiation: humans are exposed to non-ionizing radiation sources each day. Non-ionizing radiation doesn’t have enough energy to ionize atoms or molecules. Some examples of non-ionizing radiation include microwaves, cellphones, FM and AM radio waves, baby monitors, garage-door openers and television signals.
  • Ionizing Radiation: Ionizing radiation comes from both natural sources and man-made sources and has a higher energy that can create ions. Some sources of ionizing radiation include x-rays, cosmic radiation and nuclear power plants.

What is Uranium?

Uranium is a naturally occurring, weakly radioactive element that is present at low levels in the environment. This element is found naturally in soil and rocks, in the water we drink and even in the air we breathe.

Because uranium is a naturally occurring, low-level radioactive material that is found across virtually all parts of our environment, it contributes to what is called “natural background radiation.”

Regulation & Public Dose

The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) regulates the nuclear energy industry to limit the radiation that nuclear energy workers and members of the public receive.

  • Worker Dose: Using studies performed by the International Commission on Radiological Protection on acceptable levels of radiation exposure, the CNSC has set limits of 50 mSv (millisievert) per year, or 100 mSv per five-year span for workers.
  • Public Dose: The regulatory limit for members of the public is 1 mSv per year. The average natural background radiation exposure for people living in Canada is 1.8 mSv.

In 2023, the estimated annual public dose from our Toronto facility was 0.004 mSv and the estimated annual public dose from our Peterborough facility was 0.000 mSv.

BWXT NEC has a comprehensive radiation protection program and is guided by the principles of ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable). We use the best available technology to restrict uranium emissions and ensure emissions from our facilities are as low as possible. The small amount of uranium emissions that do occur does not pose a risk to members of the public.

Additional information on environmental performance for BWXT NEC’s Toronto and Peterborough sites can be found in the latest Annual Compliance Reports.

Learn More:

Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission: Introduction to Radiation | Uranium Overview | Health Studies

Government of Canada: Radiation and your health

Peterborough Public Health: Uranium

Toronto Public Health: Environmental Uranium Levels Near 1025 Lansdowne Avenue, Toronto

Canadian Nuclear Association: 2021 Fact Book