Those sneaky atoms

If there's one word that scares even the very brave, it's radiation. It conjures images of atom bombs and Chernobyl. Nuclear power run rampant, fallout and cancer.

Sure, these things are all out there, but did you know you can come into contacts with surprisingly large amounts of radiation in every day life even if you're not a nuclear technician or a radiologist? (Let's not forget that radiation can be beneficial as well).

That's what we're looking at today, strange unexpected places to find radiation.

First up, it occurs naturally in certain kinds of food, like bananas and Brazil nuts. That's right, although both are very good for you, the roots of their trees go so deep into the ground that they naturally absorb radiation from the ground. Enough radiation in fact to set off security scanners in airports.

This is not our fault, it's always been like that.

But not to worry, you can't get sick from eating either bananas or Brazil nuts, though if your partner is allergic to nuts, the allergen from the Brazil but can be transmitted sexually.

Speaking of naturally occurring places to find radiation, did you know granite absorbs the stuff terribly well? Granite like your kitchen counter top (if yours is fancier than mine), or the Grand Central Station in New York for example. You see, the stuff just floats about and gets trapped in the granite where it sits happily, well, radiating. The Grand Central Station leaks more radiation than is legally allowed for a nuclear power plant. Food for thought.

OK, so since you're feeling freaked out, maybe you should to sit down, have a cookie from the old jar granny left you, scratch your cat a bit and read your favourite glossy magazine.

Drat, you're still not safe. And all because of irradiated clay and paint.

Kitty litter is often made from bentonite clay, which is - you know it - radioactive.

Pottery, particularly red pottery from before 1960, may contain surprisingly large amounts of uranium.

And do you know how they make your magazine so glossy? By using kaolin or china clay, which can contain both uranium and thorium. Fun!

But fear not, gentle reader. All these radiation levels are pretty safe. Or are they?

Until next week, try not to eat too much kitty litter!