Japan's ongoing nuclear crisis understandably has people around the world worried about radiation exposure and the potential health risks it may pose. According to the latest reports, radiation from Japan was detected in Southern California late this week, but experts are quick to point out that the levels are far from dangerous. The readings were "about a billion times beneath levels that would be health threatening," a diplomat with access to United Nations' radiation tracking told the Associated Press.
Nor is it unexpected. "Whenever radioactive particles get in the atmosphere, they have the potential to spread around the world," says James Thrall, MD, president of the American College of Radiology. "But they get diluted as they travel, so they're unlikely to pose any real health problem."
In fact, we're probably exposed to significantly more radiation every day than the miniscule fallout arriving from Japan. Here's a quick tutorial on radiation to put our collective anxiety in perspective:
