Ionizing radiation fields. Natural sources include the sun, lightning and supernova explosions. Artificial sources include nuclear reactors, particle accelerators, and x-ray tubes. The United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) itemized types of human exposures. The International Commission on Radiological Protection manages the International System of Radiological Protection, which sets recommended limits for dose uptake. Background radiation comes from both natural and man-made sources. The global average exposure of humans to ionizing radiation is about 3 mSv (0.3 rem) per year, 80% of which comes from nature. The remaining 20% results from exposure to man-made radiation sources, primarily
Radiation hormesis "error-prone nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ) repair in postirradiation cellular response, argues strongly against a DNA repair-mediated low-dose threshold for cancer initiation". Recent research observed that DSBs caused by CAT scans are repaired within 24-hours and DSBs maybe more efficiently repaired at low doses, suggesting the risk ionizing radiation at low doses may not by directly proportional to the dose. However, it is not known if low dose ionizing radiation stimulates the repair of DSBs not caused by ionizing radiation "i.e." a hormetic response. Radon gas in homes is the largest source of radiation dose for most individuals and it is